Starlit Nights
by Sariah Loire
Summary: Juli may not have been a Hollywood star, but neither was Kuu, once upon a time. That didn't stop him from falling in love with her.
1. Goodbyes

_**Starlit Nights  
**_Sariah Loire  
Chapitre One

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

_Juli may not have been a Hollywood star, but neither was Kuu, once upon a time. That didn't stop him from falling in love with her._

* * *

Over thirty-five years ago, in the flourishing town of Tokyo, Japan, there were many prominent families that had taken up residence in the bustling town. Some of the families had gained their status through the wealth they inherited from previous generations, others were 'new money', and were rather looked down upon by the older, more dignified families. The Hizuri family was one of those who were looked down upon.

Senri Hizuri was a young man in his late thirties, who had made it big with a manufacturing company he started when he was in his early twenties, living in Kyoto. By the time he turned thirty, he was no longer working the factories himself, he was accomplished enough to do nothing but sit behind a large desk all day, and watch the employees come and go from his top-level office overlooking Tokyo.

His wife was Tara Hizuri, a quiet woman, who was a few years older than himself. She had been sickly ever since her family moved to Japan when she was a child, and was held back two years in school because of her frequent absences. Because she was held back, she had spent most of her high school life isolated, away from the gossip and teasing of the other classmates, which was made even worse by her foreign looks. She and Senri were both second-years when they happened to meet one day, in an abandoned music room. An instant attraction was there, and a relationship was started in the following days.

Their courtship was long, as Tara was from a prominent American family; much wealthier than the one Senri had grown up under, and they weren't given permission to marry. His own family was, to be honest, poor, while hers was flourishing despite the changing times. Because of their different social position, their relationship was looked down upon by many of their family members. The two young lovers endured the intolerance, and were married as soon as Senri turned twenty.

The young newlyweds had a rough life in their first years of marriage, Senri's newly founded factories had little work, and they began spiraling deeper and deeper in debt. Tara was physically unable to work a job, but they believed that as long as they held fast to each other, times were sure to get better. And times _did_ get better. Eventually Senri's hard work paid off, and his company was given a long-term contract with a company from Tokyo.

When Senri was twenty eight, and Tara thirty, the Hizuri couple moved to Tokyo. They were given a large estate, and there was very little they could possibly have want of. The only thing they _did_ still want was on the way – Tara had become pregnant.

Because of her weak constitution, she was confined to a bed for most of her pregnancy. For various reasons, which he repeated to Tara with growing annoyance, Senri began spending most of his time on business trips to various parts of the country while she was limited to staying indoors. After Tara gave birth to a son, Kuu Hizuri, the time Senri spent away from home only seemed to grow more and more.

As Kuu was growing up, he never thought of himself as being different from other children. Sure, he had all of the latest toys and games. He was driven to grade school every day in a gleaming, frighteningly expensive vehicle, but he was used to it. When he was asked about his father, whether by teachers or other children, he could tell them anything they wanted to know – his mother had taught him everything about the man he rarely saw.

It wasn't until Kuu was in his second year of grade school that he noticed exactly how different his family was. He spent the night with a close friend from his class, and was amazed by what he learned during that one night. His friend's father arrived home shortly after he did, and was met by the boy's mother. They embraced and kissed – something Kuu had seen only in movies. After that, they whole family sat around a large table and ate supper together, Kuu included. He had never felt such feelings of warmth and happiness before, except where his mother was concerned.

When he arrived home the next day, Kuu worked up the courage to ask his mother why his father was never home. Her answer was a tearful response of uncertainty, and Kuu vowed to never mention the man again in her presence. Little did he know that his life would take a drastic change a few short years later, and it would prove to him just how strong, and weak, familial bonds could be.

One day, during Kuu's second year of middle school, he received a call to go to the office. When he arrived there, he found a chauffeur from his house waiting for him. With little explanation, Kuu was rushed home, to where he found his mother waiting with a large white van parked in front of their estate. It wasn't until he had joined her in the van, and the estate was out of sight, that his mother finally spoke. Senri had filed for a divorce, and would be moving his new fiancé into the house within a week. Tara and Kuu were to go back to Kyoto, where their humble roots had begun.

They moved into a tiny apartment on the edge of Kyoto. Kuu was thrown into a new school, and his mother began working to try and support them both. Senri had given them money to live off of, but Tara wouldn't spend it. She told Kuu that if he wanted the money, it would be his when he became an adult, but she wanted nothing to do with it. Her own resentment and anger at the man who had given her his name was soon transferred to young Kuu.

He grew up rather angry at the man who had abandoned his mother, forcing her to work with an un-well body. Kuu himself began working small side jobs when he entered high school, lying about his age to the employers who wanted no one under eighteen. He worked to the point where his grades began falling, but he refused the help of the many girls who were willing to tutor him. After he began filling out to the point where he was no longer all arms and legs, many of the girls in his school had begun noticing him. He had decided, upon becoming a first year high school student, that he wouldn't give himself the chance to turn into a person like his father. He accepted the idea that relationships were a waste of time, and had grown accustomed to rejecting the many girls who confessed their love to him.

But the day came in his third year of high school that he discovered something he _could_ love. He had to stay late to take a makeup test in one of his failing classes, and when he finished, he found himself walking by the drama club that was practicing for the end-of-year school festival play. He watched them, unable to tear himself away from that spot, and an hour had passed before he knew it. Before the week was up, he had made up his mind to try out for a role in the play.

The other students, ones who had been practicing for months, had very little hope that Kuu could play anything other than an extra, or even work as a stage hand. Kuu heard their discussions about him, and he decided that he was going to prove them all wrong. In the two weeks he had before the public try-outs, he spent every spare moment after work and school studying acting, and everything that went along with it. When he had four days of practice left, he obtained a copy of the script from a friend of his who was on the student council.

Kuu read through the parts, trying to decide which one he was going to set his sights on. His eyes kept travelling to one part, and that was the one he chose – the male lead. He memorized the lines, finding it surprisingly easy to remember them. While he was memorizing the lines, he got into the habit of speaking them out loud, and working with them until they felt natural, like he was the actual character on the paper.

When the auditions came around, Kuu was put at the end of the list. Others were given a copy of the script on the spot, and were told which part to try out for. When it was Kuu's turn, he was given his own copy, and told to read the lines of a very minute character, one that spoke barely five minutes in the whole play. When he stepped onto the stage, there wasn't a doubt in his mind of what he had to do. He began, from the beginning, and weaved a story with the main character's lines, for the better part of ten minutes.

When he finally stopped, it was only because a scene change broke up the flow of the story. There were a few teary eyes in the audience from the emotion that Kuu had portrayed. The rest of the auditorium erupted into applause, including the drama club members that had doubted his ability from the very beginning. Kuu was given a spot on the drama team, and the lead role of the play was his.

For a few months, Kuu's school life was the best it had ever been. He had friends, who encouraged his acting, and there were more girls following him than he had before. He still wasn't interested in the girls, but they didn't mind. Everyone who had seen Kuu's tryout was sure of one thing – Kuu Hizuri was going to be famous one day.

At the end of his third year in high school, the festival came around, as it had every year. When all of the other drama members were fainting with anxiety and nervousness, Kuu was busy eating his fill, or as close as he could get, backstage at the snack table. That was something else that had changed in Kuu's later teenage years; he found that he could _never_ get full. Accepting the meals the many girls offered him often helped, but it usually took about fifty box lunches to satisfy him.

The play was scheduled for the last night of the festival, and Kuu took the chance to peek through the stage curtain before it opened. There, in the second row, was his mother. She was as pale and weak as ever, but she had made it to come see what her boy had been spending so much time on. She saw him spying, and waved a small hand. Kuu returned her wave with a smile that set the girls in the front row to squealing, and let the curtain close in front of him. It was time to show the world what he could do.

Kuu's acting was top-notch, even more than it had been during the last practice session. When he took the stage, the crowd was in awe. They held their breath during the suspenseful parts, cried during the tender scenes, and laughed at Kuu's convincing slap-stick antics when the script called for humor. When his acting caused a few of the other actors and actresses to forget their lines, Kuu covered for them, ad-libbing where it was needed.

When the curtain closed, every single audience member was on their feet. There was a mix of tears, laughter, and screaming, especially when the curtain opened again with Kuu on center stage. As the others came out, they were met with the same applause, though not as loud as it had been for the leading man himself. Kuu was exhilarated, to the point that he actually forgot his hunger… for a moment.

The response didn't go to his head, as it did to most of the other members. He felt such a sense of sadness that it was over, that he stayed backstage while the others were being mobbed onstage. He remained back stage until his mother came to the dressing rooms, looking for him. Any of the other words of praise he had heard were nothing when compared to the words that came from his mother, when she told him she was proud of him.

They only had a few moments in peace, before there came a knock on the door. When it opened, there was a tall man, who didn't look much older than Kuu himself. He had jet black hair, which was hanging in his calculating eyes. Kuu stepped in front of his mother, a little worried that he might have to protect her from the man who was standing before them, dressed as an Egyptian Pharaoh, complete with a golden staff. The man bowed low, before addressing Kuu.

He introduced himself as Lory Takarada, the president of a new talent agency in Tokyo, called LME. He spoke few words, but his intent was obvious. He wanted Kuu to come to Tokyo, and work as an actor under LME. Kuu would receive all of the instruction needed to improve his abilities free of charge, and in turn, he would stay with the agency for a minimum of five years. LME was still new, but Lory told him that he was just the actor they needed to be put on the map.

After he made his proposal, he left a business card with Kuu, asking him to please let him know his decision soon. The door at LME would be open to Kuu Hizuri, and his amazing acting abilities, as soon as he graduated.

The next few days went by in a blur, and Kuu couldn't exactly remember how he got through them on his own. He spent all of his waking, and even some sleeping, time thinking about the offer. He was being given the chance to act all he wanted, and not just in a school play, but for the entire _country_ to see. True, before he tried out for the play he had never given a single thought to becoming an actor. But in that short amount of time, he had found just how much he loved it.

His jobs were offering him full-time positions, and his mother expressed her wishes that he would use some of the money from his father to go to a university. Kuu explored those options, he even went so far as to take the entrance exams that he would need to get into a university. But, his mind repeatedly went back to the card that was tucked away in his wallet, behind a folded copy of a review that was made of his performance in the play.

And so, with his mother's approval, Kuu left for Tokyo, less than three weeks after he had met the strange man named Lory Takarada. He _had_ taken out some of the money that had been put up for him, in order to rent a hotel room while he discussed a contract with Lory. He also had a small amount with him for other provisions he might need while he was in the large city. But nothing could have prepared the eighteen year old boy for the step he was about to take.

When he arrived at LME early one morning, he was greeted by a procession of dancing girls, scantily clad in garish jewels and silk clothing. He would have turned around to leave out, if he hadn't spotted Lory walking-slash-dancing his way towards him, in the midst of the group of girls. The young men greeted each other and they retreated to Lory's office, where they could have a conversation in private.

After three short hours, they had come to an agreement. Kuu would go through various training programs while he began acting in small-time commercials and variety shows. He would be endorsed by LME during his training, but the real promotions would begin once he was ready to step into the world of dramas and movies. His contract was for five years, and once it was up, he was to be given the freedom to act for whatever agency he wished.

When asked if he would go by his real name, Kuu insisted that he would not. He knew that his father was somewhere in Tokyo, and he wanted no connection to be made to the man. Neither did he want the man to try and have any contact with him, if for some reason he wanted to. After much discussion and brain storming, Kuu and Lory created the name 'Shuuhei Hozu'. From that moment on, for the better part of five years, Kuu no longer considered himself a Hizuri.

Lory encouraged him to begin LME's training right away, and Kuu was more than willing to do so. He let his mother know that he would be coming home to see her as soon as he could, and she simply told him to go for his dream. Kuu clung to those words, and threw himself into building his life as Shuuhei. He made sure to call home every week, but before he knew it, a year had passed, and he hadn't gone back to Kyoto a single time.

After being with LME for a year and a half, Kuu's first big-time commercial aired. It was for a new famous brand of cologne, and after the commercial ran for a few days, LME was flooded with requests for 'Shuuhei Hozu' to act in other commercials. He had a few talk show appearances, along with several small roles in dramas, and it was becoming more and more obvious that his popularity was rising faster than he could keep up with.

Right after Kuu celebrated his two year anniversary of working under LME, along with his twentieth birthday, Lory's wife passed away. They had been married for less than five years, and had a young son. Lory was distraught at the passing, and Kuu took a week off of work to try and keep his boss, who had also become his best friend, sane through the grief. Lory took two months off from the company, during which time Kuu received the offer he had been waiting for – his first leading role in a drama, he was to play Katsuki Tachibana in _Tsukigomori_.

He took the drama without consulting Lory; he knew the man had much more important things to deal with during that time. He worked hard on the filming, especially to make the 'love' aspects of the drama seem convincing, and a few short months later, the first episode aired during the prime slot of Japanese television.

It was met with even more praise than had been expected. Shuuhei Hozu became a household name within the first three episodes, and Kuu was sky-rocketed to the top place in the Japanese entertainment industry. By the second half of _Tsukigomori_, Kuu was declared the number one actor in all of Japan. The end of _Tsukigomori_'s airing coincided with his third anniversary at LME. Both events were celebrated by the company, because Kuu's involvement had shot the ratings of the drama up to 46.4%, the highest Japan had ever seen.

Kuu was given a huge bonus from the producers, with which he bought his mother a nicer house in Kyoto, and supplied her with a live-in maid to help her with the upkeep. He also was now able to provide for her, so she wouldn't have to work. She thanked him for it all, but told him that the only thing she really wanted was for Kuu to come visit her when he could. He promised he would, but as the following weeks and months were filled with dramas and films, another year and a half passed without him ever going back home to Kyoto.

A few months before his twenty-third birthday, Kuu received a phone call from his mother's live-in maid. He was in the middle of filming, but as she had called his phone, and not his manager's, he stopped the filming to answer the call. Tara Hizuri had fallen ill, and wasn't expected to make it through the night.

Kuu was on a plane to Kyoto within the hour, and made it to his mother's bedside before dusk had fallen. Tara had been ill since birth, but had become weaker and weaker over the last two years, to the point where she could no longer walk without help. She had recently caught a cold, and was unable to get rid of it. Instead of telling Kuu, she had ordered her maid to keep it quiet. The maid only broke her promise because the woman had fallen unconscious, and wasn't expected to recover.

Two days later, after regaining consciousness for a few precious moments in which Kuu tearfully gave his goodbyes and apologies, Tara Hizuri passed away, at the young age of fifty-three.

The funeral was held, and Lory was there to support his friend as Kuu had done for him, not that long before. Tara was buried in a quiet Kyoto cemetery, and Kuu bid his beautiful mother goodbye for the last time. He returned to Tokyo and resumed filming, pressing down the pain and hurt every day until he arrived at home, where he could let them flow freely from his eyes.

When Kuu turned twenty three, and his contract with LME was up, he knew what he had to do. His popularity was at an all-time high in Japan, and LME had become a famous talent agency, one that was believed to produce only the best of stars. But, in Kuu's heart, there was still something driving him to want more. His mother had told him, all those years ago, to go for his dream. He wasn't sure at the time what that was, but now he had a little better of an idea. He was going to go to America, the country his mother had been born in, and make a name for himself there.

Lory helped him with the planning, and a funeral for Shuuhei Hozu was planned. It marked the end of his career in Japan, and he tried his best to express to the fifty thousand people in attendance how much he thanked them for their reception and help during the five years he had been an actor. The funeral was met with much grief and sorrow, as if he really _had_ died.

After the 'funeral' was over, Lory, along with his six year old son, Kuoki, helped Kuu pack up the large apartment that he had been living in for the last few years. He didn't have many possessions, but most of the things that he did have, he instructed Lory to give them away. The only belongings he wanted to bring to America were the ones that had some kind of special meaning to him. The rest would be bought when he made his own name, Kuu Hizuri, as famous in America as Shuuhei Hozu had been in Japan.

And so, on one cool autumn day, Kuu Hizuri boarded a plane for America under the cover of darkness, and left the country he had called home for all of his twenty-three years to make a new life for himself in the United States.

* * *

_There will be dialogue, please don't worry. I'm merely setting the stage for the rest of the story, which hasn't really started yet. I thought this would be the best way to do it, along with working on my writing abilities._

_For those who are wondering, this is completely speculation, from my own mind. Almost nothing from Kuu's past is given to us, so don't go looking for this in Skip Beat!, as it's not there._

_Sari*_


	2. New Beginnings

_**Starlit Nights  
**_Sariah Loire  
Chapitre Two

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

_Juli may not have been a Hollywood star, but neither was Kuu, once upon a time. That didn't stop him from falling in love with her._

* * *

"Great job, Kuu! We have a fifteen minute break to change the props, and we'll shoot that scene again from another angle."

Kuu wiped the sweat of his forehead with a towel, breathing heavily; tired in spite of the military-like training he had been given for months before this role started. "Okay, thanks." He waited until the director was out of sight to walk off the set, limping slightly with his left foot. He had sprained his ankle during training a few days before, and had sworn everyone who witnessed it to total secrecy. Kuu couldn't stand the thought of filming being delayed because of him.

In the two years Kuu had been in America, little had changed as far as Kuu's personality. He still worked as hard as ever, ate as much as possible, and stayed away from women when he could. The latter was a fact that never ceased to grind on Lory's nerves, and he made it painfully obvious every time the two talked on the phone. Kuu had learned to not fight back, as it was a losing battle. Lory just couldn't seem to understand that he was the only one in Japan – or actually, the entire _world,_ who was capable of showing the kind of love that was normal for him. Kuu had no doubt that not a single father alive could boast of doting on their children more than Lory did on Kuoki.

When they weren't discussing Kuu's nonexistent love life, their conversation was usually centered on LME. Lory had constantly asked Kuu to come back for almost six months after he left. After those six months, Kuu finally made him grasp the fact that he wasn't coming back to Japan anytime soon – at least not yet. In fact, after being in America for two years, Kuu still had no desire to go back. His mother's grave was being taken care of, and Lory was doing fine. There was no reason to return.

He swung open the door to his private dressing room, a luxury he had missed when he was first trying to make his break into Hollywood. For a year, he had worked nonstop to get his name out there, and never was his incredibly-famous Japanese stage name mentioned. He was thankful to be fluent in English – something his mother had insisted on, from the time he learned to speak. After spending a few months in California, he found himself able to blend in with the crowd perfectly, and his speech held no accent other than the crude talk familiar to the Los Angeles population.

Kuu took a step through the door and was met with a wave of heat that threatened to knock him down. The window unit that was set up in his dressing room had been having problems since filming started. After listening to his co-star in the next room scream about the heat for hours during the first day, despite the fact that she _had_ a working air conditioner, he had decided to deal with it silently until the crew had the chance to replace it. But since he didn't need to change at that moment, he decided to go and find something to drink instead.

The studio was enormous, much larger than the ones he had worked at in Japan. And as he was usually only there for filming, and not promotions, Kuu found himself lost within a few minutes. "Not _this_ again. They're going to think I'm a child if I keep losing my way like this." He grumbled to himself as he studied the sign on the wall. It said nothing about their filming studio, so he was out of luck.

Kuu looked at his watch; his fifteen minutes were going to be up soon. He turned around, deciding to try backtracking to see if he could find his way. Since the halls were clear, he began moving as fast as he could with a sprained ankle, trying to get back before he was missed. He had just thought the walls looked slightly familiar when he rounded the corner and ran straight into another person. It startled him more than anything, and he ended up falling in his attempt to keep the other person balanced.

"I'm so sorry, I-" The person gasped, and he looked up in alarm, expecting to see blood or a broken limb, or something to that effect. What he saw instead was shiny blonde hair and the clearest blue eyes he had ever seen. The sight was a short-lived one, though, because the young woman jumped to her feet almost instantly and began trying to help him up. "Oh, dear – Mr. Hizuri, I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going, I apologize!"

"Please calm down, it's quite alright." Kuu let himself be helped up, and examined his clothes for anything that would warrant a wardrobe change before filming started back. When he looked back at the girl, she looked upset enough to start crying any minute. "Hey, I was the one who was running, so it's my fault entirely, Miss…?"

"Juliella." She backed away as soon as he was up, still looking as if she was halfway to tears. "I'm so sorry, if there's-" Kuu gingerly took a step forward, wincing as he stepped with his sore ankle. Juliella apparently didn't miss the wince, as she let out a soft wail. "Oh, no, Mr. Hizuri, did you hurt yourself? I'll take the blame, don't-"

"Miss Juliella, please, just relax." Kuu put his hands up, trying to stop her onslaught of apologies. The concerned girl had thrown him for a loop, he was sure hadn't seen her around the studio before. "I injured myself a few days ago, before I ever had the pleasure of meeting you, so you can't be blamed." Kuu may not have had an interest in dating women, but his mother had taught him his manners, and he had well perfected them while working in show biz.

Juliella looked relieved, and she stooped down to pick up the many, _many_ papers she had been carrying before they had collided. Kuu did the same, his large hands moving faster than her smaller ones. "Oh, y-you don't have to help, Mr. Hizuri! If I'm late for filming, they probably won't miss me. But don't you have to be back soon?" Kuu looked at her blankly, and her cheeks turned a slight shade of scarlet. "I'm sorry; I'm in a scene in your movie today. They called me in for filming this morning."

Kuu picked up the rest of the papers, and straightened up, trying to shuffle them into a stack that was easier to handle. "Really? What part are you playing?"

She dropped her eyes slightly, accepting the outstretched papers. "It doesn't have a name, I'm just an extra, I'm afraid." She raised her head again, looking more determined. "But that's going to change one day soon! I'll make a name for myself, and I'll be just as famous as… as any star you might see walking around here."

If Kuu could have seen his own face then, he might have realized why so many women he met fell in love with him. He wasn't shining his 'polite' smile that he used while conversing with the public, the girl's eyes had shown a love for acting, and that drew out a beautiful, real smile. "I wish you the best, Miss Juliella. And if you're headed to the studio, I'd be glad to accompany you there."

Juliella was silent for a few seconds, before meeting Kuu's eyes for the second time since they had met. Kuu thought it strange how different her eyes seemed than the many others he had looked into during the years he had been acting. "Thank you, Mr. Hizuri-"

"Could I ask that you call me Kuu, Miss Juliella?" The title '_Mr. Hizuri'_ never ceased to bring back memories he would rather not think about. Sometimes the decision to go by his real name didn't seem like such a good thing, after all. "That stuffy title makes me feel even older than I already am." His youth was apparent, but he wanted to put the young woman at ease. He wasn't prepared for her beautiful smile; it seemed so sincere and special, especially to his Hollywood-hardened eyes.

"Then, please call me Juli." She extended a hand to his, which he shook gladly. They began walking towards the studio, Kuu was careful to let Juli lead him. A few people were passing by in the hallway, staring at the two of them. "I'm afraid I didn't think through the decision of using my real name in the acting field." She looked a little self-conscious, as she brushed back a blonde curl. "I always disliked it; I don't know why I thought that would change."

It was Kuu's turn to laugh now. _'Apparently she understands better than I thought she would._' They walked through the studio doors, and Kuu looked at his watch, he really _was_ late now. "I should get on set. Good luck with filming today, Juli, I look forward to working with you."

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Kuu." Kuu raised a disapproving eyebrow to her, and she laughed. "I'm sorry, I mean thank you, _Kuu_. I look forward to working with you, as well."

* * *

Kuu, to his disappointment, didn't get to act in any scenes featuring Juli. She wasn't just being humble about her position when she had told him her role; Kuu discovered that she really _was_ just an extra they needed for a few scenes. When she was finished with her part, she stood off-set and watched the acting. It was an action-filled movie, and Kuu was feeling the effects of the most strenuous scenes.

When the filming for that day was finished, the director called out the next day's schedule to the group. When he listed the names, Kuu was pleasantly surprised to hear 'Juliella' called out along with the rest of the names, including his own. Juli looked thrilled that her scenes wouldn't be over as fast as she had thought they would.

The next day of filming didn't go according to schedule. When Kuu arrived on-set, the director was informing Juli that she was being given a few lines to speak in a scene that was taking place in a bar-like environment. When filming began, Juli had to shout to be heard over the deafening crowd, and she wasn't able to raise her tone to the level they wanted. After trying the scene a few times, the director cut off another attempt at it and moved to the next scene. Kuu couldn't help but feel rather sorry for Juli; he knew what it felt like to have impatient directors hanging over you. During a free time during the filming, Juli left out of the studio with her head drooped low. Kuu followed her without giving it a second thought.

Juli walked slowly through the hallways until coming to a secluded courtyard that had a guarded entrance to the outside world. Kuu felt a little homesick, just for a moment, as he thought of the pictures Lory had sent him of the new LME building. Juli sat on a long bench in the courtyard, burying her face in her hands. Kuu grew a little worried then, trying to think of an excuse he could give as to why he would happen to be passing through the same place. His worries didn't last long, as his footsteps were enough to cause Juli to jerk her head up and look around. When she saw who it was, she jumped to her feet in a flash.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Mr. Hizuri! Am I needed back on set already?" She spun her watch around on her wrist, checking the time with wide eyes.

"It's Kuu, remember?" Kuu sat down on a bench opposite of the one Juli was previously occupying, and motioned for her to sit down. The courtyard was deserted. "Don't worry, we have a while before either of our scenes come up again."

Juli nodded, sighing in relief as she lowered herself back onto the bench. She folded her hands in her lap, staring at her feet. "I-I'm sorry for the wasted time, Kuu. I thought I was ready for this level movie, but I… well, I was wrong. I need to apologize to the other actors, as well."

"I don't believe that." Kuu crossed his arms, gazing at Juli's defeated face. "I believe you _are_ ready for this movie, and for parts much greater than the one you've been given. You just need a little push to help you."

"What kind of push?"

"Do you have your revised copy of the script?" Juli nodded, and pulled out a neatly-rolled stack of bound papers. The script looked like it had only been read through a few times. "There's your first mistake. Study your lines until you could say them in your sleep. And say them out loud, while you're in the same mind frame as your character. _Become_ the character while you read your lines to yourself."

Juli nodded, entranced with listening to Kuu's advice. He flipped through the script until he found the few highlighted words, and read over them. "Your first step is to memorize the line, do you have it memorized?" Juli nodded again, Kuu glanced around them. _'Good, we're still the only ones out here.'_ "Okay, say your line."

Juli looked around them, checking for people, just as he had done. "Now?"

"Now."

She cleared her throat, and stated her line with a clear, smooth voice. "'Could you get me a drink, along with that guy's number?'" She paused for a minute, as if waiting for the bartender to answer. "'Thanks, I owe you one!'"

"Good. Now say them as if you were filming." Juli repeated the line as she had in the studio, much too quiet to be convincing. "Okay, now our job is to get you to project your voice more. You're speaking too softly, that's why you have to do retakes. Try to imagine yourself in a packed room, being jostled in a crowd of partying people." Juli tried it again, a little louder, but still not good enough to 'pass'.

"Okay, let's try this." Kuu switched benches, moving to sit next to Juli. He rolled up her script into a temporary megaphone, and put it close to her ear. "I'm going to talk really loudly into this, and you talk over me, okay?"

"Okay." Juli drew in a deep breath and waited to speak until after Kuu began. Kuu was nearly yelling into her ear, and the result was almost exactly what he had hoped for. Her line sounded as if she _was_ trying to speak over the noise of everyone else. She realized it too, because her face lit up with excitement. "I did it! Kuu, is that what the director wants me to sound like?"

"Yes, but just a little louder." Kuu was rewarded with another beautiful smile. "If your ears can handle it, let's keep trying until you get the hang of it." And they did, they practiced until a stagehand came and found them, looking a little bewildered at the sight of Kuu nearly screaming into Juli's ear.

"M-Mr. Hizuri, Juliella, you're both needed on set. Is there a problem?"

"Acting practice!" Kuu cheerfully responded, bringing a look of relief to the boy's face. "We'll be there in a minute." The boy nodded and went back into the building, looking over his shoulder a few times. "Here, take this." Kuu held out a slip of paper to Juli, one he had ripped off of the now-worn script.

She unfolded it and her eyebrows furrowed. She looked back up to him, looking a little puzzled. "What's this?"

"It's the number to the phone in my apartment. If I'm not around the studio, you can call me at home. If you ever need help, or just… some advice, feel free to call me." He smiled at the young actress, pushing away the thought that Lory would be proud of him. "Now, are you ready to go show them what you can do?"

* * *

_For those who are wondering, this isn't going to be a long story. A few chapitres at the most. It's not a really in-depth, blow-by-blow story, but just a short look into what Kuu and Juli's young life might have been like. If more information about them is ever released, I may feel compelled to create a longer story._

_Please forgive me if my time-line facts about Hollywood are inaccurate. As I've stated, I have no interest whatsoever in Showbiz. I only study it for my SB! fanfics, nothing else. Let me know of any mistakes!_

_Sari*_


	3. Sweet Poison

_**Starlit Nights  
**_Sariah Loire  
Chapitre Three

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

_Juli may not have been a Hollywood star, but neither was Kuu, once upon a time. That didn't stop him from falling in love with her._

* * *

"Sorry to keep you waiting, I got held up by a few reporters." Kuu pulled off his hat, gingerly stepping around the thorny rose bushes that were lining the path. It was a bright night; the stars always looked so beautiful when he got far enough away from Los Angeles that the nightlights of the city didn't interfere with the blackness of the sky. "Have you been here long?"

"Just since nine." Juli stretched, sounding suspiciously like she had been asleep. Kuu checked his watch and winced, it was after ten. When he caught sight of Juli's face, he concluded that she _had_ been asleep, after all. "How did the press conference go? Are they excited about your new movie?"

"Yeah, it seems like it's going to be big. Did you get called back for a part in it?" It had been almost a month since Kuu first ran into Juli at the studio. In that month, they had finished their roles on their mutual film, and afterward began meeting to talk about work. Since Kuu was far too well-known to just walk into a restaurant with Juli, they instead had chosen to meet outside of town, where they could talk in peace, usually in a quiet park. The conversation never went beyond work and hobbies, but Kuu was thankful to have a friend in the midst of Hollywood.

"I have another audition tomorrow, it looks promising." After Juli had gotten over her initial shyness, Kuu was pleasantly surprised to find just how strong-minded and outspoken she really was. There were few times that she held back what she wanted to say, and that had almost gotten her in trouble with a handful of overbearing directors, along with fellow actors who had a hard time keeping their eyes to themselves when Juli was around them.

Kuu had found himself drawn more and more to Juli as he got to know her. It didn't surprise him; after all, she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen, if not _the_ most beautiful. And in his line of work, that was saying something. But, more than that, she was _real_. He had met his fare share of actresses that proposed friendship, but made their desire to be _with_ him quite clear. If Juli had any interest in him other than friendship, it would have shocked him, because nothing in her eyes betrayed it. "I'm sure you'll get the part, you're perfect for it."

The stars were shining brightly on the two young performers; it gave Kuu a melancholy feeling. Without realizing it, he closed his eyes and sighed deeply, remembering things he would rather forget. "Is something wrong?" He opened his eyes, looking over into the concerned face of Juli. She was holding out a bottle of water to him, and her free hand was tucking a long blonde curl behind her ear.

Kuu smiled ruefully, accepting the water. He took a long drink out of it; debating on whether or not he should cross the work-only conversation line they had seemed to draw after their first few meetings. _'It seems like as good a time as any.'_ "My father took me and my mother out on a lake at night one time. The sky looked almost exactly as it does now, down to the city lights showing in the distance." He capped the bottle, feeling his teeth clench a little. "That's one of the only memories I have of spending time with my father."

"I'm sorry, did he pass away at a young age?"

Kuu fought back a bitter laugh, crumpling the water bottle in his hands. "I don't have a clue if he's still alive or not, he walked out on us when I was a child." Juli's eyes widened, she looked like she was going to start apologizing. Kuu raised his hand to stop her. "No, it's fine. My mother tried her best to fill in for him, so there's no need to feel sorry for me. I hope your family was much more… family-like?"

Juli smiled, and shook her head slightly. "I'm afraid not. Or, I guess I should say it's not _anymore_. I had a normal time growing up, until I decided to move here to become a… well, to break into showbiz. My parents disowned me for choosing this life over a prestigious university, one that they had spent years saving money for the tuition."

"Ah, it's my turn to apologize. I didn't mean to open up old wounds." Kuu was surprised at the news, her sunny disposition would have never let him in on the fact that she had went through events much like the ones he had faced over the years.

"Oh, I don't mind. I haven't regretted my decision, and even if the 'dreams' I have for my life don't work out, I still won't." She leaned back, stretching out her long legs. Everything she wore accented her figure, if it was possible to make it look even better. "I just have to keep moving forward, instead of always looking back."

Kuu loved the sight of Juli's face shining in the moonlight, but it looked even brighter that night. Her eyes seemed to glow as she smiled over at him. "You have dreams, don't you, Kuu?"

That caught him a little off-guard. Sure, he had thought about it every now and then, but it seemed trivial and egotistic when he thought about saying it out loud. "I'll tell you about mine, if you'll tell me about yours first. What's this dream that you cared enough about to give up everything you had, with no guarantee that you could achieve it?"

Her face turned a little pink, a look that Kuu had come to enjoy seeing. "I want to… I want to model. I'm _going_ to model. And not just for small-town companies, I'm going to be a supermodel." She looked bashfully at him, and then back down at her hands. "I know how hard it is to break into modeling, though, so I'm trying to become known as an actor first. I'm hoping that it will help me to find a modeling agency."

"You'll make it, there's no question about that." She seemed to glow even more, nodding her head slightly at his support. "As for me, I want to act." He raised his hands, and dropped them again. "It's that simple. If I can spend my whole life acting, then that's fine with me."

"What about a family?" Kuu thought for a moment, wondering how he was supposed to answer her. Before he had a chance, Juli began speaking again. "Sorry, that must have sounded strange. I just meant that most people I've met talk about the family they want to have one day. Do you have any hopes like that?"

"My father started a family with my mother, and then left us to start another one." Kuu folded his arms, looking up at the sky. "I'm his son, and that makes me afraid that he might have passed that… that _trait_ down to me. I supposed I just don't want to find out that I would be a failure as a father, like he was."

Juli laughed, showing the one reaction he wasn't expecting from her. "Kuu, I saw you on set with children, they _loved_ you." She shook her head, wiping the corner of her eye. Her beautiful smile was shining, chipping away at Kuu's resolve to stay uninvolved. "If anything, you seem _made_ to be a…" She stopped, turning a little pink again. "well, to be around children."

Kuu thought for a moment, she _was_ right, at least partly. Sure, the children he acted with had seemed to like him. But, that didn't make someone a good father, and he was in no way cut out to be one. "Well, what about you? You want to be a model, can you do that and still have a family? And be a mother?"

A shadow passed over Juli's eyes for a moment, and Kuu thought he had overstepped the line. She sat quietly before smiling at him again. Her smile seemed sad and forlorn, but she nodded slowly. "Yes, if I was given the chance, I could."

* * *

"Mr. Hizuri, could you comment on your newest movie for the camera?"

"Is it true that you're seeing your co-star, Claire Watkins, Mr. Hizuri?"

"Mr. Hizuri! Just a moment of your time, please!"

Kuu sprinted through the front door of his apartment, thankful for the security measures that were provided in the up-scale building. It had been nearly two weeks since he had last seen Juli at their usual spot; he had been filming on-location, and had only gotten back that very day. Juli had a semi-regular role in the drama he was starring in, but not a large enough spot to be included in the trip. Kuu had spent the two-week trip fighting off his co-star, whose only interest seemed to be in taking her male co-stars to bed.

In the three months since their conversation about family, Kuu and Juli had stayed as far away from that subject as possible. Kuu didn't want to defend his reasoning against being a parent, and Juli seemed to have her own reasons for staying away from the topic. Instead, they had gone on to talk about their schooling, and how different life was growing in the two countries, along with every other 'safe' topic they could think of.

Kuu didn't want to admit it, but on that particular day, he was more enthusiastic than he had been during his entire time on-location. As soon as his plane had landed, his manager had met him with a sealed letter from Juli. The letter simply stated for him to meet her at his apartment at seven, and that she had borrowed a key from his manager. Kuu believed the last line more than any of the others, his manager took far too much interest in trying to set Kuu and Juli up.

When he opened his apartment door, the first thing he saw was a table and two chairs, with a brightly coloured box sitting in the middle of the table. There was a single ribbon tied to one of the chairs, and a strange smell was in the room. He was going to investigate when the door to his kitchen flew open. "Kuu, welcome back! Happy birthday!"

If you asked Kuu, he would tell you that that very moment was when he knew he was in love with Juli. He'd tell you that he couldn't explain it, but _some_ believe it was the sight of her wearing an apron and holding a massive pot of food that pushed him over the edge. He likes to say that he was already falling for her, and just didn't know it, though.

Whichever may be the truth, he dropped his luggage on the floor as he looked at the beautiful woman standing across the room from him. Before he had time to answer, Juli was rushing back into the kitchen, and she came out again without the pot or the apron. "Thank you, Juli. Did you do all of this?" He finally was able to get words out, though his surprise.

"I did, and you're to do nothing but sit as I finish getting the food ready." She walked over to the table, and he followed her, sitting limply in the ribbon-adorned chair. _'When's the last time I even acknowledged my birthday? When Mother was still alive?'_ "Now, _don't touch_ the present, you have to wait until I'm in here, okay?" He nodded, and she disappeared back into the kitchen.

Kuu sat, twirling the shiny-wrapped box in his hands for what felt like an eternity. He was tired, jet-lagged, and... confused. He didn't want to think about how good it felt to have someone waiting for him at home. He didn't want to acknowledge the fact that his resolve against 'love' had begun slowly crumbling since the first time he had spoken to Juli.

After a few minutes, Juli appeared from the kitchen door again. Her cheeks were glowing red, and her eyes were shining with excitement. She sat across from Kuu, taking a drink of water from the glass in front of her. "I'm running a little behind; the food will be another few minutes." She set her glass down, looking a little nervous. "I… I'm sorry for doing all of this without asking. But I knew you didn't have anyone to celebrate with, so-"

"I'm thrilled, Juli, I can't begin to thank you enough." He reached across the table and touched her hand, only for a moment. "Your letter said you had some news to tell me, though?"

"Yes, I guess this is a two-part party." Juli fiddled with her napkin, looking over her shoulder at the kitchen. "I received a phone call yesterday, from the Avalon Agency. They're well known on the east coast, but they have a smaller branch here, mainly for their summer modeling shots. I sent them my portfolio last week, like you suggested, and they want me to come in for an interview tomorrow!"

Kuu was silent while the news set it, but once it did, he was grinning from ear-to-ear. "That's amazing! Did they give you any details?"

"No, but they said they were _very_ interested in my portfolio." Her eyes were nearly sparkling in the room's light, nearly making Kuu forget to listen to what she was saying. _'Get a hold of yourself, Hizuri. You were never a lovesick teenager, there's no need to make up for lost time now.'_ "This could be the big break I was waiting for!"

"And here you are, all concerned about a little birthday!" Kuu jumped up, shoving his chair back from the birthday. With great ceremony, he untied the ribbon from his chair, and tied it to Juli's. "This should be your celebration, or at least, we'll share it."

"But, Kuu, it's your-"

"No 'buts', you sit while I go serve the food." He bowed low, mimicking a butler, before he left the room to go find out what the not-so-pleasant smell was that was coming from his kitchen. He found the stove playing host to four large pots of food, all simmering and, he was almost certain, burnt. Ignoring the sounds coming from the oven, he served up two plates of food and brought them out to the table.

"I… I hope it tastes alright. I haven't cooked for anyone other than myself in a few years." Juli watched him earnestly, her eyes studying his face for a reaction.

"I sneaked a taste in the kitchen." Okay, that was a lie. But it was a needed one. "Everything tastes magnificent." Juli's face lit up with a smile, and she began eating. Kuu picked up his own fork, and placed a huge bite in his mouth.

It was terrible.

Not just an 'I tried my best, but made a mistake' bad. If Kuu hadn't of known better, he would have thought the woman was trying to poison him. He chewed twice and swallowed, putting on his best actor's smile that was possible. Not that he faulted Juli, she had gone through the trouble of cooking for him, after all. But he knew there was no way he was letting her go home knowing that his birthday meal had went to waste. He dug his fork in again, and got to work on the massive amount of food he had served himself.

* * *

_My knowledge of SB! is (I think) pretty vast, but I use the SB! Lexicon to help me fill out blank spots. It's where I got the information that Juli is an actress as well as a model, along with other info. But, when it comes down to it, we just don't have enough back story on Kuu and Juli to give them an entirely accurate fic. I'll say again, this is just __**my**__ interpretation of how it could be._

_As stated, this isn't an in-depth story of Kuu and Juli's past, as nothing is known about them. I'm just highlighting a few events that I believe plausible, so please enjoy this short story._

_Sari*_


	4. Worried Interlude

_**Starlit Nights  
**_Sariah Loire  
Chapitre Four

_This is __**not**__ a full chapitre, just a small piece of the story in order to get me back into writing. Please bear with me, and expect more updates coming soon._

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

_Juli may not have been a Hollywood star, but neither was Kuu, once upon a time. That didn't stop him from falling in love with her._

* * *

Over the next two weeks, time seemed to slow to a crawl for Kuu. Juli, much to her surprise, had been called back to the Avalon Agency to do a few test shots after her original interview. After those shots went well, they called her back for more. Kuu had spent many worried hours with the beautiful Juli, doing his best to calm the anxious look in her eyes between the few scenes they had left to film together.

After the second test shoot, Juli didn't hear anything else from the agency, and it worked on her. Truth be told, it worked on both of them, but Kuu would have never shown it. If it was up to him, he would have went straight to the head of the agency and asked how they could possibly turn away someone like the stunning blonde, but he restrained himself.

He instead threw himself even further into the name he had built from the ground up. As he began spending more time on-set with Juli, he began noticing how, for the first time, his other female co-stars began leaving him alone. Kuu was thankful for not having to deal with their propositions, even if he was intruding on Juli's kind nature to keep them away.

Since the night of the celebration in his apartment, Kuu had stayed in a state of semi-confusion. On one hand, he wasn't sure exactly _what_ his feelings for Juli were. Sure, it would have been easy for him to throw the word 'love' around, but he had never been in love before, so who was to say that he wasn't just experiencing the unfamiliar bonds of friendship? But on the other hand…

'_On the other hand, I think I'm head-over-heels crazy about that woman across the room?'_ Kuu thought wryly, smiling despite himself when Juli spotted him across the agency cafeteria. She waved him over to the table they had shared several times, one of the few places they could be together and not have to worry about the press hounding them. He made his way through the busy crowd and set a large over-filled tray on the table. "Sorry to keep you waiting, that last scene ran long."

"I just finished up, too." Juli reached across the table to grab the salt shaker sitting between them. Kuu grimaced as he watched her shake the salt over her plate for nearly a full minute, before realizing that her attention was on a letter next to her tray and not the food.

"Juli?" She looked up blankly, still slightly moving the salt shaker. "Is there something on your mind?"

"Why do you ask?"

Kuu reached over and lightly pulled the salt shaker from her hand, setting it back on the table between them. A comment about the amount of salt on her food nearly slipped from his tongue, but he remembered the meal she had cooked for him, and it stopped the words. _'That might actually be the norm for her.'_ "You just seem a little distracted. Did something go wrong with filming?"

Juli shook her head, a few blonde curls fluffing out around her face. "No, it went fine. But I received a letter from the Avalon Agency this morning, right before I left my apartment to head here for filming."

Kuu's fork stilled in mid-air, nearly dropping the food that was on the way to his mouth. He set it back on his plate, working to keep his voice calm. "Why didn't you say so? What did the letter say?"

"I haven't opened it yet." A small blush crept up Juli's cheeks, as she lifted the letter that was next to her tray. "I'm a little afraid to, I guess. What if it's a rejection notice? It's been over a week since my last test shots, after all."

"It _could_ be an acceptance notice, you know." Kuu shoved a bite of bread into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "And it might have a deadline on the time you have to respond back to them."

"You're just trying to get me to open the letter." Juli brushed away Kuu's hand that was reaching for the letter. "Ah-ah, no, I'll be the one to open it. You would announce the outcome to the entire room if I let _you_ read it first."

Kuu pulled back his hand, feigning injury. "Fine. Just for that, I don't even want to hear what it says so that there's no chance of my telling anyone." He covered his ears, leaving large gaps in his fingers as she began opening the letter. "See? No chance of me hearing. Not at all."

Juli's eyes widened as she read the letter, and her mouth opened slightly. Kuu silently watched her eyes travel to the bottom of the page, then back up to the top, where she read it again from the beginning. When she reached the end for the second time, she finally found her voice. It came out in a tiny, thin whisper. "T-they want me back, Kuu."

It took a few moments for her words to register, as, despite his faith in the woman, he had been setting himself up to hear the worst. He lowered his hands, leaning forward in order to hear her. "What? Are you sure?"

Her face broke into a beautiful smile, and she thrust the letter at him, waving it in his face. "Yes, yes, I'm sure! They want me to do a mock-shoot at their main office!" Her voice was getting louder and louder, but Kuu was too busy carefully reading the letter to worry about the others in the room. "See, Kuu? They really want me back!"

He opened his mouth to offer his congratulations when the two words _'main office'_ seemed to stick out brighter than the rest of the letter. "Where… did you say their main office was, again?"

It seemed like Juli's eyes were only getting brighter with every moment. She smiled beautifully, reaching out a hand for the letter. "It's in New York, why?"

* * *

_I repeat my earlier claims; this is __**not**__ a full chapitre. Just a small interlude to get me back into writing this story. A full chapitre should be up soon, continuing where this left off. Thanks for your understanding, and I hope the new few chapitres that end this story will keep your interest._

_Sari*_


	5. More Goodbyes

_**Starlit Nights**_  
Sariah Loire  
Chapitre Five

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

_Juli may not have been a Hollywood star, but neither was Kuu, once upon a time. That didn't stop him from falling in love with her._

* * *

The next day, Kuu borrowed a wig from his manager, who was all too happy to lend him one. The long black hair got in his way, but it gave him the anonymity he needed to bring Juli to the airport and see her plane off without a single fan bothering either of them. When she got to the gate, she turned and waved goodbye, shining her beautiful smile one last time. And then she was gone.

Kuu drove around Los Angeles for a few hours, telling himself he was enjoying the feel of not having a horde of fans following him around, or a driver pestering him with questions or comments. His pager didn't go off, alerting him of the need to call his manager like it normally did, so Kuu just relaxed and let the silence work itself out.

He stopped by the studio later that evening, double-checked his schedule, and headed out to find a meal. Still wearing his disguise, he ate his fill at a small diner near his apartment before heading home. Kuu unlocked the door and went straight for his answering machine, where the blinking red light filled him with a small bit of hope. Hitting the play button, he set his load of bags on the floor, pulling his wig off.

"_Hi, Kuu!"_ He had to smile, despite the downward turn his mood had taken since the day before. Juli's voice sounded as excited as a child, even more so than it had that morning. _"The flight went fine, and I'm about to take a taxi to Avalon as soon as I get my bags. We have a meeting over dinner, and hopefully they'll tell me a little about what we'll be doing over the next few days. I'll call back when I find out more, bye!"_

A beep signaled the end of the message, and another message began playing, from his manager. It told him that the casting had finally ended for his next movie, and the other actors who would be in the movie alongside him would be contacted within in the next two weeks. When that message ended, he erased it, careful to keep the first one intact.

Picking up the bags of extra food he had bought from the diner, he made his way into the kitchen. Even after two weeks, Kuu could have sworn that the lingering smell of scorched food still hung in the air. Not that it surprised him, he was thankful for the fact that his bedroom was on the other side, nowhere near the kitchen. He put the food away and headed for the shower, hoping that all he needed to feel normal again was a half hour in a soothing hot tub of water.

* * *

Kuu was partially right, he _did_ feel better after he dried himself off and slipped into a pair of warm pajamas. He made himself a snack before settling on the couch with the script to the drama he was in the middle of filming. The scenes that were slightly more romantic in nature were finished up, to his relief.

After working on memorizing his lines for a while, he dropped the well-worn script on the floor, kicking his feet up on the other end of the couch. Kuu looked around him, noticing again just how empty his apartment looked with the bare walls and sparse furniture. _'There's only one remedy for nights like these.'_ He reached over and picked up the phone, hitting the glowing numbers.

"What are you still doing up this late, Kuu?"

Lory's familiar voice filled the phone, making Kuu immediately feel like he was back home with his good friend. "Doesn't it sound strange saying that when the sun is still out, Boss?"

"The sun is out over here, but not there. What's wrong, a job keeping you up?" Kuu heard muffled talking in the background, and Lory speaking to whoever was in the room.

"Are you busy? I can call back later."

"No, it's no problem. Kuoki just got home from school, that's all." There was more muffled talking, and Kuu thought he heard a young girl's giggling. "A friend of his came home with him today. It seems she likes to be called… Jelly?"

"Jelly, Boss?"

"I don't have a clue. Hold on while I close this door." When Lory came back to the phone, Kuu could hear him much better than before. "There. Now, what's going on? You sound like you just got fired, and I haven't heard from you in weeks."

Kuu shuffled down further on the couch, propping the phone up with his shoulder. "I've been busy with work, it seems like all the new dramas decided to start their filming at the same time. And I've got a new movie that will be starting sometime next month."

"You need a wife to help keep you sane."

Kuu rolled his eyes, staring up at the ceiling. Every time he talked to Lory, they went through this. The man was set on the fact that Kuu needed a woman's touch in his life. But the difference this time was that someone's face kept flashing through Kuu's mind as he listened to Lory name off the reasons Kuu shouldn't be living alone in the big city.

"Are you listening to me, Kuu?" He jumped slightly, causing the phone to slide off his shoulder and hit the carpeted floor. "Kuu?" Lory's voice drifted up as Kuu fumbled for the phone. "You better not have hung up on me."

"Sorry, boss. Hands slippery from popcorn." Okay, it was a lie, but it was better than letting Lory in on the fact that he was preoccupied thinking about a woman. He would have never heard the end of it if the President of LME got wind that there was a trace of a relationship floating anywhere around Kuu. "Yes, I was listening. I need a wife, right?"

"Right. Not a girlfriend, not a fling. A _wife_." Kuu groaned inwardly, regretting the fact that he had started the man up all over again. "And not one from Hollywood, either." Kuu raised an eyebrow to that, but he couldn't get a word in. "Unless she's got her feet on the ground. I'm sure there are _some_ normal actresses at agencies other than LME."

Kuu relaxed again, unable to fight back a smile. Lory had very little shame when it came to promoting the stars that his agency produced. From what Kuu had seen of Japanese showbiz, Lory had good reason to be proud. LME's stars were among the best. "I don't know about that, Boss. You may need to make a trip over here to see for yourself. There's a lot of talent in this country."

"Meaning you've seen some talent that you like? Or a _woman_ that you like?" Kuu winced, resisting the urge to slam his head onto the arm of the couch. _'Bad move, Kuu. Bad move.'_ "I'll have a plane ready to leave tomorrow, will she be free for me to meet her?"

"Boss, calm down." Lory was still rattling off his plans, Kuu hoped he wasn't telling them to his personal secretary. He wouldn't put it past Lory to show up at his doorstep without a word of warning. "No, there is no one." _'Technically, that's true.'_ "I don't have a girlfriend, and certainly not a wife. Not even close. Now calm down before I have to tell Kuoki to put on a depressing anime for you to watch."

"Fine, I'll stay in Japan for now." He sounded hurt, but Kuu knew the man was prone to fits of pouting when his ways of love weren't followed. "But if I find out that you're lying about this-"

"I think you would know the second a woman stepped into my apartment, even half a globe away."

* * *

The next morning, the world seemed a good deal brighter to Kuu. He had been woken up with a phone call from Juli, who was telling about her dinner meeting so fast that he could barely keep up with her words. He did gather that she was having a great time, and the thought worried him a little more than he would have liked to admit.

She told him that all of her work in Hollywood was on hold, but that she should be back in four or five days. Kuu congratulated her, gave her his best wishes, and feigned happiness until the call ended. Then the real worrying began.

Even while waiting for filming to begin, he had to chide himself over and over again for his feelings. _'You're being ridiculous, Kuu. There's nothing between you and Juli. Nothing.'_ He raised his hand in greeting to another actor who had just gotten through getting his makeup and hair done. _'Nothing.'_

He adjusted his tie slightly, thankful for the breeze coming from the nearby air conditioner. Filming winter scenes indoors were always hard, particularly when he had to be bundled up as if he were heading out for a day in the snow. _'You have no reason to be nothing but happy for her. She's accomplishing her dream, just like you are. It just so happens that the two dreams exist on opposite sides of the country.'_

"Mr. Hizuri, it's time to film your scene!"

Kuu jumped to his feet, thankful for the distraction. If all went well, the next four days would be packed to the breaking point with filming, interviews, and promotional photo shoots. He would have to remember to thank his manager for at least trying to keep his mind off of his troubles.

* * *

On the fifth day, Kuu thought his heart was about to jump out of his chest from the amount of rushing and hurrying he had done just to get ready for that night. He had left the table and chairs from his birthday celebration in the apartment, so he covered the table with a white tablecloth and added two tall, white candles.

He had spent a good portion of the day working on a meal, he was convinced that everything was going to be absolutely perfect for Juli's 'welcome home' party. He had instructed her to come straight over when her flight landed, only after she had told him that she wasn't going to let him miss work just to come pick her up.

Truth be told, Kuu was a nervous wreck. Every day that Juli had been gone, they had spoken on the phone. Even if it was brief snippets of conversation, they had remained in contact. And as every day passed, Kuu realized with more and more dread that he was quickly losing hold on the last bit of resolve that he had built up against ever getting permanently involved with someone.

Kuu knew he had to get it out, once and for all. He was going to let Juli know how he felt, even if he was unsure of it himself.

A small knock on the door made Kuu nearly jump out of his skin, and he quickly turned off the burners in the kitchen and dried his hands on the towel that was sticking out of his belt. He pulled the towel out and walked to the door, swinging it open grandly. "Welcom-"

The words hadn't managed to leave his mouth when his breath caught in his throat. There, in the doorway, he was convinced was an angel. It had been a windy day, and Juli's curls were blown this way and that, framing her beautiful blue eyes. But the thing he had wanted to see most was her smile, and it was shining even more vivid than he remembered it. "…back." He finished weakly, reaching a hand out for her luggage.

To his surprise, Juli threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Kuu was frozen in place, with one hand on the door and the other just held in the air behind her. When he gathered enough of his wits, he put his free hand on Juli's back for a brief moment until she let go. "It's great to be back. Thank you for sending your driver over, Kuu."

He reached and grabbed her bags out of the hallway. "It was no problem. Did the flight go well?" He looked down both sides of the hallway out of habit, making sure that no one had managed to sneak past security and follow Juli to his apartment. He closed the door behind him, suddenly very aware of the implications that could, and probably _would_, be made if a reporter had witnessed that scene in the doorway.

"It did, I was surprised that the connecting flight didn't have a delay." Juli folded up the overcoat she had been carrying, and set it down next to her bags. "It was a bit colder in New York City than it is here, though. I thought I was going to melt when I got off the plane." She trailed off, looking around the room. "Something smells delicious, Kuu. Did you order takeout?"

"Ah, to find that out, you'll have to take a seat." He led her to the chairs, pulling one out for her to sit in. "Now, sit here and let me serve you." Kuu quickly stepped through the opening into the kitchen, checking the various pots to make sure that nothing had overcooked. _'Smells perfect to me.'_ "How did the mock shoot go, did they tell you anything?"

Juli didn't respond right away, and when he looked around the wall, he was surprised to see her fiddling with a pager. She looked up and saw his blank stare, and she sheepishly held up the small black object. "I don't know yet. They were meeting today with several executives, and they're going to… send me a message on this thing?" She started hard at the object. "I don't really know, they made me take this so they could get in touch with me. They told me to call the number that shows up on this screen, and they'll tell me the outcome."

She had barely gotten the words out of her mouth when a small beeping noise began. Juli nearly jumped from her seat, until Kuu held out a hand to stop her. "It's mine; my manager told me earlier that he would be by with some papers this evening. I'll go to the lobby and get them."

* * *

Kuu's manager was waiting for him in the lobby, but he had news on the new movie project that was coming up. Juli had received a part in it, and he had gotten permission from the director to let Kuu tell her the good news. It took him almost twenty minutes to finish running through all the details and give Kuu a copy of the new script. By the time the older man finished and left the building, Kuu's stomach was in knots from excitement over the casting. He knew it would be the biggest role she ever played. Not a lead, but definitely a noticeable part of the cast.

He exited the elevator, barely managing to stop himself from sprinting down the hallway to his apartment, and nearly crashed head-on into Juli, who was running through his apartment door. He grabbed her shoulders to stop the collision, and she was clutching her pager as if it was an award. "What's wrong-"

"Kuu, they offered me a contract!"

He froze, staring down into Juli's brilliant smile. "W… what?"

"They want me for good! They paged me a few minutes after you left, and when I called them back, they told me!" She could hardly talk straight. Kuu took his hands off her shoulders and moved sideways through the door, waiting until she moved out of the way so that he could shut it. "They have a new clothing line that just started up, you know that one that's so popular here?"

"Sure, it's something-stars isn't it?"

"Silver Stars, yes! That's it! They're getting ready for a huge campaign, and they want _me_ to be their lead model!" Juli dropped her pager onto the table, clutching her hands together in excitement. "Kuu, it's supposed to be the designer's most popular line yet!"

"Well, that's terrific, but-"

"And, get this, it's on the _catwalk_. Not just photos, but the CATWALK! Completely live, Kuu!"

If nothing else had managed to get through to Kuu's numbed brain, that would have worked. Even Kuu, an actor with no desire to get into modeling, knew the significance of a new model being chosen for the catwalk. If what he had heard was right, that usually signaled something big. Very big. "When do they want you to start?"

Juli pulled a small notebook out of her bag, where she had obviously been scribbling on it during the phone call. "I have to fly out in three days, to make the rush fittings. They told me that this show is on a tight schedule since they hadn't been able to find a model the designer liked for this line. But," She finally took a breath in her hurry to explain the plan. "the best part is that they want me to stay and do several more shows! Kuu, they offered me _at least_ four months of steady work! Four!"

"Four months?" Kuu's head begin to spin, then. He was thankful for his spot in front of the door, where he could hold himself up against the doorknob. "But what about your commitments here? The drama, the movie you tried out for?"

"I finished my part in the drama, and I'll tell them to take my name out of the running for the movie." She seemed so collected and high-spirited, the complete opposite of how Kuu was feeling at that moment. "They'll understand, everyone knows what kind of a huge break this is!"

There seemed to be no more words for either of them to say. Juli was staring at him, with her eyes shining brilliantly. "I have to call them back with my final answer, though. What do _you_ think I should do, Kuu?"

Kuu took a deep breath and closed his eyes, then did his best to show her a smile that could display nothing but happiness. "Go for it, Juli. Go and… make your dreams come true."

* * *

Three days later, Kuu was once again standing in a busy airport, sans wig this time. Juli was at his side, waiting to get on the airplane that would lead her to everything she had told Kuu she wanted. He had managed to keep up a brave face, but her news had stopped him from making any declarations that night, or in the following days.

'_**Boarding for flight 3119 to New York City will now begin, please move forward through the gate'**_

"That's my flight." Juli looked down at her ticket, then up at Kuu, a wavering smile on her face. "I'm sorta scared, now that it's actually here."

"You'll do terrific. I'll be waiting to hear news about the rising new supermodel, Juli." He motioned with his hands, as if writing on a billboard in the air. "Will I still get phone calls when you're a star?"

She shoved him slightly, a slight red blush on her cheeks. "Stop it! You're still more famous than I'll ever be, Kuu Hizuri!"

"Ma'am, are you on this flight?" A stewardess was standing on the other side of the gate, looking at her watch impatiently.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry!" Juli looked back up at Kuu, smiling softly. "I guess this is goodbye for now, then."

Kuu pulled her into a hug, knowing he may be losing his last chance to tell her how he felt, but something wouldn't let him say those three little words when she was standing right in front of him. "Good luck, Juli. I'll be here, rooting for you all the way."

After he pulled his arms away, Juli stayed close for a few moments before stepping back. "Thank you, Kuu." She turned around and walked to the gate, handing her ticket to the stewardess.

Kuu watched her until she had almost disappeared, before he took two steps forward. "I love you, Juli." His voice didn't carry very far, and he knew from the strange stares he was getting that he must have looked foolish saying that to an empty space.

He had turned around to find his way back to the parking lot when he heard a faint voice call out "I love you, too!" Spinning around, he saw Juli waving at him through the crowd. He waved back, matching her smile with his own as the gate closed. Juli's plane left with her on it, heading towards her future in New York.

* * *

_I know a lot of Kuu's thoughts of Juli were corny. But, come on. We've all seen how he talks about his wife and son. Kuu is the **king** of over-reacting and exaggeration. But, again, this is just my interpretation of how their young life could have been. I hope the actual manga delves into their story at least a little bit._

_Sari*_


	6. Feelings

_**Starlit Nights  
**_Sariah Loire  
Chapitre Six

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

_This chapitre is made possible by someone I only know as 'Felixkai'. They nominated the story for a 'Greatest Story Never Finished' LME award, and I felt so guilty! So here we go, (hopefully) racing towards the end!_

_Juli may not have been a Hollywood star, but neither was Kuu, once upon a time. That didn't stop him from falling in love with her._

* * *

"What are you doing here, Lory?"

Those six words were the only ones Kuu could manage to string together in his sleep-muddled state. He had been having restless dreams about a certain blonde when his doorbell had begun persistently ringing. After fumbling for a shirt, and stumbling to the door, nothing would have prepared him for the sight of his old friend waiting for him.

Lory brushed past Kuu, one of his servants trailing behind him with several bags. "I'm here to check on you, since your refusal to answer my calls must have meant that you either died or were too broke to pay your telephone bill." The servant set down the bags and silently exited the apartment, leaving Kuu holding the door wide open. "So which is it?"

Kuu watched Lory work his way through the apartment, probably searching for any sign of a female's touch. "I've been busy, that's all." His own words sounded hollow to his ears, but he pushed that aside. "Is that it, you rushed over here from Japan just to tell me to call you more often?" He watched Lory for a few moments, before he had the presence of mind to shut the door leading out to the hallway. "I don't have a woman hidden in here, if that's what you're looking for."

"It doesn't hurt to make sure." Lory flopped down on one of Kuu's leather couches. He finally turned and looked at Kuu for the first time since he had flown into the apartment with such grandeur. "Why do you look so haggard?"

Brushing back a yawn, Kuu went into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. "You're still on Japan's time; give me a little while to wake up." He watched the machine slowly work, taking a deep breath of the aroma. "Seriously, Boss, what made you come over?"

"When do I get to meet 'Juli'?"

A brown stain appeared on the kitchen cabinet, where Kuu's mouthful of coffee landed when he started choking. He had never breathed a word about her to Lory, not even in the two months she had been in New York. He had only spoken to Juli a handful of times, and neither of them had brought up Kuu's hurried 'confession' at the airport.

"Well?" Kuu looked up to see Lory in the doorway of the kitchen. He shoved a mug of coffee at his former boss, and pushed past him to find a seat in the living room. _'So much for trying to keep my mind off of her as much as possible.'_

Kuu took a long sip of the black liquid, closing his eyes while he tried to think of an acceptable response to Lory's prodding. "I probably shouldn't try to guess how you found out about her, so why don't you just tell me?" He opened his eyes and found a Japanese magazine thrust in his face.

"That reporter was over here in the States, writing a story about another Japanese actor, when he spotted _you_." The picture on the page was a small one, but Kuu easily recognized the form of himself and Juli embracing at the airport before she had left for her modeling job. "I'm surprised all of Japan doesn't know about this, but we're dealing with a scandal of our own at LME, so everyone is pretty occupied."

"Scandal, Boss?" Despite himself, Kuu couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from twitching upwards. "This is America. Two people hugging in an airport is hardly a scandal."

"It is when one of the person's _best friend_ knew nothing about it."

Kuu ran his hand through his hair, kicking back on the couch opposite Lory. "Now you're just pouting. And to answer your question, you _can't_ meet her. She's across the country, working."

"Then let's get a flight out tomorrow, you can make room in your schedule, can't you?" Lory looked like he was about to race to a phone to buy tickets. Kuu leaned forward and shoved the other man back onto the couch. He wasn't letting his insane friend show up at the Avalon Agency and scare Juli out of her wits.

"No, I can't. I _am_ one of Hollywood's top actors, after all."

"Don't get smug, Kuu."

Kuu chuckled, taking another sip of coffee. "Besides, I won't go to New York anyway. She's working, making a name for herself. She doesn't need someone to get in the way, especially not now of all times."

"From what I saw, it seems like she's already made her name well known, particularly in such a short amount of time." Kuu opened his mouth to ask Lory if he had researched Juli, but he knew the answer before the question came out of his mouth. "Didn't they announce her participation in a Paris session in a few months?"

Feeling his throat constrict slightly, Kuu looked away from his old friend. He still remembered the last phone call he had made to Juli, a little over a week ago. Her Paris shoot was all she had wanted to talk about, and it had worn him out to keep up a façade of happiness and joy when all he wanted to do was tell her that she should come back home to Hollywood.

"Now, that's an expression I never thought I'd see from you." When Kuu looked up, Lory was staring at him with a sympathetic look. "You've finally fallen in love, and she left you cold."

"I told her to go, Boss." Kuu set his coffee mug down on the table, staring at it. "It's all she ever wanted, how could I ask her to give it up just so that I could have her here with me?"

* * *

Lory and Kuu talked through most of the night, with Lory throwing out every reason and excuse he could think of that Kuu should go visit Juli before the week was out. Kuu turned every one of them down, until morning came around and he had to leave for work.

He knew that no matter who gave him leave to go, he wouldn't give in to his desire to see the beautiful woman that had captivated his heart. Kuu knew better than anyone what it meant to have to give up some things in order to get the things you really want. He hoped beyond hope that Juli's popularity would only grow, but his heart would always be waiting for her to show back up on his doorstep.

* * *

"I just saw the new photo spread, it's in every magazine I've seen out today." Kuu shifted the phone to his shoulder, picking through the giant stack of magazines he had bought throughout the day, between the times he had to be on set. "You look as beautiful as ever, Juli."

Her angelic laugh sounded through the phone, drawing a smile out of Kuu's melancholy mood. "You say that about all of my shoots, Kuu. You're not exactly an impartial observer."

He could hear some people talking from through the phone. "Are you busy? I can call back later, if it would be better."

"No, no! The designer is just asking me about some dresses for the next shoot." Her voice became muffled as she spoke to whoever was in the room with her. "It's so amazing to be here, Kuu. This whole place is just so, I don't know, alive!"

"Do you know how much longer you'll be in New York?" _'It's been four months and two weeks, I thought you'd be back by now.'_ Kuu bit off his question before he added the rest of it, but that didn't stop him from thinking it.

"I… I'm not really sure." Alarms went off in Kuu's head as he heard the uncertainty in Juli's voice. "The main designer asked me a few days ago if I could stay on and help until the show in Paris."

"But… that isn't coming up for a few months, right?"

"About a month and a half, we'll head up early to get everything ready." Her voice was quiet, as if she was thinking about her words carefully before she said them. "I think they're going to offer me a chance to design a few pieces for the show."

Kuu chose to stay quiet, he knew there was no way he could hold the emotion out of his voice. And he felt more than a little childish at feeling a sense of betrayal.

"It would be a big chance for me to get my name known among designers. I've always been interested in having my own line of clothing, so it would be career-suicide to turn this down."

"Why would you turn it down?" His heart hurt at the words, but he pushed the pain aside. "Designing clothes in Paris sounds like the chance of a lifetime."

After a few moments of silence, Kuu thought the line had gone dead. Juli drew in a deep breath, letting it out shakily. "You're right, Kuu. There's no reason at all to turn it down."

* * *

For the next few weeks, Kuu was puzzled over the reaction he had gotten when he asked Juli about why she would turn the extra modeling time down. It had almost torn his heart in two, but he thought she would have sounded more excited over his approval.

They had spoken only one more time since then, and the conversation was strained, as if they were both pushing to find things to say instead of running up a substantially expensive long-distance phone bill.

Kuu didn't want to dwell on the negative thoughts, but he had lingering feelings that Juli might have found someone else in the modeling sect. He had known that actors and models rarely had the chance to interact, and it was even more obvious now, since he hadn't seen Juli in over five months.

He had talked to Lory several times since that fateful call with Juli, and he seemed exasperated with Kuu. After hearing that Kuu had encouraged Juli to take the job, he seemed downright sullen and refused to tell Kuu why. Hoping he would get over this latest mood swing, Kuu decided to leave him alone for a while.

Kuu knew what he wanted, and he knew what would have to happen for that particular dream to become a reality. But the thought of losing Juli was enough to make his blood run cold. Even if she had found someone else, he had to tell her how he felt once and for all, and this time it wouldn't be yelled across an airport terminal.

He was going to New York.

* * *

"This is the address, just let me off at the front door." Kuu checked his watch nervously. For all he knew, Juli might have already left for Paris. He had contacted one of the heads of the Avalon Agency, explained his connection with Juli, and learned of her itinerary. He had almost waited too late; she was set out to leave the very day he was able to get a flight across country.

Kuu had the taxi's door open before it had completely stopped, and was pulling his bag from the trunk before the driver got his own door open. Kuu handed the man a few large bills, thanked him for the quick driving, and turned to face the large apartment building. He took a deep breath, staring at the row of windows, wondering which one was Juli's. _'Well, it's now or never.'_

* * *

_Almost done, but I really love writing about Kuu and Juli. Sorry for the long wait, I hope someone enjoys this!_

_Sari*_


	7. Breathless

_**Starlit Nights  
**_Sariah Loire  
Chapitre Seven

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

_Juli may not have been a Hollywood star, but neither was Kuu, once upon a time. That didn't stop him from falling in love with her._

* * *

Kuu cleared his throat, tugging at the open collar of his shirt. He was standing in front of the apartment that the agency was renting for Juli. He knew he must look horrible, he had barely gotten any sleep the previous night from worry, and then the long flight out here…

He pushed the concerns about his appearance out of his mind. _'You're just here to let her know how you feel, and then you're leaving. She can start her new life in Paris, and forget all about the time we spent together.'_ He grimaced, not wanting to think what it would be like to try to forget about the one woman who had managed to work her way through the shell around his heart.

Raising a hand, he bit his lip and knocked lightly on the door. Holding his breath for a few moments, he waited. When no answer came, he knocked again, a little louder than before. Still no answer. He leaned against the wall opposite the door, and closed his eyes, trying to decide what to do. Just as he had made up his mind to find a phone to call Juli, the door swung open.

Kuu knew all along that Juli was the most beautiful woman he had ever met, but seeing her again reaffirmed that her looks were beyond normal beauty, ranging into the angelic. He quickly took off his sunglasses, staring at Juli, whose mouth was still hanging slightly open in shock. "Hi, Juli."

"Kuu, wha-?" She clapped a hand over her mouth, tears welling up in her pale eyes. Kuu started to panic at her reaction, his mind going over all of the possibilities that could have caused her tears. _'What if she's got someone else, in her apartment right now?' _But her expression didn't seem to be one of guilt, but of hope.

"I.. I'm sorry I didn't call before coming, it was a pretty sudden trip."

"What are you doing here? I'm leaving for the airport in a few minutes." She still spoke from behind her hand, but her voice sounded stilted to Kuu's ears. He felt his face fall slightly. _'I guess I'm too late after all…'_

"I know it seems crazy, but I have something I need to tell you before you leave for Paris." Juli's eyes met his, and he felt his resolve strengthen slightly. "It won't take long, I promise. I just… didn't want to tell you over the phone." Juli's pager went off, but her eyes never left his own, despite tiny tears working their way out of the corners of them. Kuu cleared his throat, not willing to look away from Juli's gaze. "I love you."

If her tears hadn't begun to fall more heavily, Kuu would have thought that he had only said the words in his mind. "I've loved you for a long time, I just didn't want to… complicate things for you. I know you're working hard and going to Paris to make your dreams come true, and I didn't want to interfere with-"

His words were cut short by Juli taking two steps forward and throwing herself into his arms. Within a few seconds, their lips had found each others, in a kiss that was long overdue.

* * *

"I can't believe you flew here without telling me." Juli's voice was muffled against Kuu's chest, the only movements they had made were to shuffle into her apartment, still entangled together. "I wanted to see you before I left, but I didn't think I would get the chance."

Kuu had one arm around Juli's back, and his free hand working through her soft blonde hair. "I would have flown here at any time if I had known." Juli nodded, squeezing her arms tighter around him. "I thought maybe you had found someone else."

He felt her stiffen in his arms, and when he looked down, he was staring into a pair of slightly icy eyes. Opening his mouth to backpedal, he didn't get more than a few words out before Juli cut him off. "How could you think that, Kuu? I _told_ you that I love you, I don't throw those words around." She tried to pull away, pouting, but Kuu held on.

"I didn't know if _you_ meant it the way _I_ meant it." Kuu wrapped both arms around her slim black, fighting back a smile at the dejected face Juli had pulled. "Quit giving me that lost puppy look, you're not going anywhere."

Her pager beeped, shrill and loud. When Juli reached for it, Kuu felt his amusement drain away as he recognized the number of Juli's manager. "…except Paris." He finished weakly, trying to work up a smile.

Juli glanced at the counter, where her phone was mounted. "I need to call her, maybe the flight was delayed." She didn't move, but Kuu slowly removed his arms and stepped back. Juli picked up the phone, and dialed the number.

"Sorry, I must have missed your first page. Is there a problem?" Juli nodded, listening to the voice on the other end. "Okay, I'll be waiting." She hung up, placing the phone back in the cradle without meeting Kuu's eyes. "She's about to turn down the block, she'll be here in a minute or two."

Kuu reached out and took her hand in his own, waiting until she finally looked up and met his gaze. It nearly broke his heart to see those beautiful eyes filled with tears again, but that couldn't dampen the love that was causing his heart to beat faster with joy. "You wouldn't let me blow off work for a little while to go with you, would you?"

Juli laughed, pushing his chest with her free hand. "And have all of America on my case for taking their favorite star away?" She smiled up at him, even though there were still tears hiding in the corners of her eyes. "Go back to work, Kuu, so I can do the same." Her smile wavered for a moment, before she reached up and touched his cheek. "Now that we know where we stand, I think it'll be a lot easier."

"Go and become everything you want to be." He covered his hand with hers, and bent his head forward to kiss her goodbye. When they reluctantly pulled apart, Kuu let his hand trail down the side of Juli's face. She leaned into his touch before pulling away and opening the apartment door.

Standing at the end of the hallway, he watched Juli descend the stairs and leave the building. Before she got in the waiting car, she turned and looked to the window that Kuu was standing at. She smiled a brilliant, shining smile, despite the tears trailing down her face. With a lift of his hand, he watched the love of his life leave again.

'_It's like the story of my life.'_ Kuu thought later, as he was on a flight back to Hollywood. But, try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to feel despondent. He knew halfway across the globe was a woman who loved him just as much as he loved her.

* * *

"Your voice is ungodly cheerful at this hour."

"It's early evening here, Boss." Kuu glanced out the window to make sure. He wouldn't have been surprised if he had wasted hours celebrating the last phone call he had received. "And that's beside the point. You'll _never_ guess what Juli told me!"

"Kuu, if you ever have children, I'm changing my phone number. If you can get this excited over your girlfriend, you'll be _impossible_ with a child."

He couldn't hold back a scoff, as he flipped through the latest magazine featuring pictures of Juli on the runways in Paris. "Boss, even if that day does come, I can guarantee you that nothing can diminish my love for Juli. A child would definitely be second in that hierarchy of love."

Lory's dry laugh made its way through the phone, but the man didn't argue. "We'll see. Now, what is it that you had to wake me up to say? I get those magazines too, you know. You're the one who bought me all those subscriptions a few months back."

"They've okayed the designs of her first five pieces of clothing!" Kuu flipped to the small article in the French magazine. It wouldn't have caught most people's eye, but he had tried his best to read it over and over again, despite his lack of knowledge of the French language. What he did understand was the picture of Juli, beaming, while holding one of her original dresses. "They're going to get Juli to model them on the runway to see what kind of reaction she gets, before they decide on production."

"You know I'm thrilled for her, Kuu, but that's not a _definite_ acceptance. They could still reject her designs, if the audience doesn't like-"

"Quiet!" Kuu covered the phone with one of the magazines, as if it stop the words from coming out. He waited until he heard nothing but silence, and gingerly picked up the phone. "Boss, you can't talk like that! We have to believe that everything's going to work out for Juli!"

"You should just be trying to get her back home, you over-zealous idiot." Kuu could hear the pouting through the phone line.

"She'll come back when she's ready, I'm not worried." And that was the truth, even despite the nagging uncertainties Kuu had at times. "I'll be right here waiting, until she conquers the fashion world."

"What if you're old and grey, and she still hasn't come back?"

"You're a real killjoy, Boss."

* * *

While Kuu was working his best at keeping his standard of acting up, and Juli at shoving her way into the designer's _clique_ of Paris, three months flew by. Kuu would have liked to say that he didn't notice them, but he would have had to lie. Every day that he went home to his empty apartment, and laid down in his empty bed, he knew that he was all alone.

But he could always count on Juli's voice to cheer him up, and she never disappointed him. Listening to the stories of her work, and the stunning praise that her designs received, had left Kuu with a glowing sense of pride. And when she asked about his work, he could always honestly tell her that he was doing his best. The growing sense of longing for his blonde angel had not worked its way into his career, and as long as he could control it, it wouldn't.

It was the quiet times, when their conversation turned to each other, that left him feeling drained. They would be talking about nothing important, when one would slip up and mention their future. Seeing as how neither of them really knew what that would be, the discussion would stall for a few moments, until one of them thought of a way to change the subject.

More often than not, Kuu didn't want the subject to change, but he had no choice. He told himself that he would plan a surprise trip to Paris, but never acted on it. What was he supposed to say to her? _'I love you, leave all of this and come back to Hollywood and marry me'_? No, he couldn't ask her that. Not yet.

* * *

At the end of the fourth month, Kuu was nearly out of his mind with a yearning to see the woman he loved more than life itself. Lory had threatened to stop answering his calls, since all Kuu seemed to do was whine and complain about how much he missed Juli. Lory's advice had been a simple 'Go to Paris'.

"He doesn't even understand me." Kuu muttered dejectedly, stretched out on one of the sofas in his living room. He knew there was no real reason to feel sorry for himself, but he felt like having a pity party anyway. "I _can't_ go see her." He rolled over onto his stomach, burying his face in the cushion so he wouldn't have to see the tiny black box that sat on the arm of the couch. "I don't want to have to come back home… without her."

He had gotten past the realization that as desperately as he wanted to marry Juli, she might not be ready to settle down for a long time. Kuu had never asked her, but it was clear to him that her work was the main thing on her mind. He often wondered whether or not she ever toyed with the idea of them building a life together.

At that moment, he would have said '_No, she probably doesn't give it a second thought.'_

Thankfully, he would have been wrong.

When a soft knock sounded on the door, Kuu nearly jumped out of his skin. Visitors were usually announced by the receptionist ringing his room. He looked at his watch, it was much too late for his manager to be coming over. And with Lory in the mood he was in, it wasn't likely to be him. That only left…

At that thought, Kuu jumped off the couch and nearly crashed into the coffee table for his efforts. Leaping over the table, he ran to the door, and threw it open. Without stopping, he swallowed up the figure standing in the hallway with an encompassing hug, nearly knocking her off of her feet.

"I hope you knew it was me, or else I might have to be worried about what kind of visitors you've been having." Kuu heard Juli's laughing voice coming from the mass of blonde hair his face was pressed against. He didn't want to pull back; part of him was worried that she might just be some kind of hallucination that came from not seeing her for so long.

Neither of them moved or even spoke for a few minutes; they just enjoyed the feel of being back in each others arms. Finally Kuu backed away, letting out a shaky chuckle. "Now I see how you felt when I surprised _you_. Come in, let me get your bags." He grabbed the luggage that Juli had discarded by the door, and moved it inside the apartment. "Did you come straight here from the airport?"

"Yes, I caught a taxi as soon as I got off the plane." Juli shrugged out of her coat and hung it next to the door. She crossed the room, leaning against the couch. "Well, I don't see a woman's touch here, unless I count those fashion magazines." Kuu turned his head to protest, but was met with an impish smile.

"If you can find one that doesn't have _you_ in it, you're free to take it." Not sure what to do with the luggage, Kuu left it next to the front door. He caught Juli's gaze and walked across the room, until his toes were directly in front of hers. Resting his hands on the back of the couch, he met Juli in a kiss that lasted until they had to break away, breathless. "Welcome home." His voice was little over a whisper, their noses almost touching.

"It's good to be back."

* * *

_Well, the way I see it, the second Kuu confessed for 'real', and Juli reciprocated, he became the idiot we all know and love. Not on the grand, idiot-parent scale, but that will come later._

_Sari*_


	8. The Answer

_**Starlit Nights  
**_Sariah Loire  
Chapitre Eight

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

_Juli may not have been a Hollywood star, but neither was Kuu, once upon a time. That didn't stop him from falling in love with her._

* * *

While Juli relaxed in the living room after her long flight, Kuu threw together a light meal. A 'light meal' in his sense of the word, anyway. Only enough to feed twenty-five or thirty people.

"I'm really not that hungry, Kuu." He stuck his head through the archway, so he could hear Juli better. "Why don't you come and sit down with me?"

"It'll only take a minute, you have to eat _something_." Juli pouted, but Kuu could see the smile in her eyes as he continued to speak "You have to eat to keep up your strength. Besides, you're a model, your body's even more important than normal. Right?"

Juli laughed into the magazine she was looking at, but nodded. "Right. Do you want me to help?"

Kuu's hand that was stirring one of the boiling pots stopped, his mind going back to the meal Juli had cooked for them both, months back. "You're supposed to be resting!" He looked through the archway again to see her looking slightly crestfallen. "But you can always come over tomorrow morning and cook breakfast."

At those words, Juli smiled beautifully, and Kuu made a mental note to make sure he had antacids on hand. Not that he minded, he would let Juli cook for him every day, if only to get to spend time with her.

A long twenty minutes later, Kuu walked out of the kitchen with his oven mitts on and a large pot in his hands. He was walking towards the table when he turned to tell Juli that everything was ready. Before he got the words out of his mouth, his eyes landed on the small black box that he had forgotten to pick up from its spot on the couch. He almost dropped the pot of food on the floor.

Juli was holding the box, turning it over in her hands. Kuu hoped she wouldn't open it before he had the chance to explain.

"The f-food's ready, Juli." Kuu fought back the urge to run across the room and pry the box out of her hands, and laugh it all away as a joke. _'She'll think I'm a moron. No, it's better to leave it alone.'_

To his horror, she turned and held up the box. "What's this, Kuu? I found it under the cushion."

He knew she wasn't an idiot, he couldn't lie his way out of it. But what was he supposed to say, _'It's a diamond ring. For you. By the way, would you like to marry me?'_ "It's… something I left out. You can just throw it back under there, I'll get it later." Kuu thanked the heavens when she didn't argue, but tossed the box back on the couch and stood up, walking around to the table.

* * *

After the meal, Kuu stretched out on the couch which was home to the ring box, shoving it further into the cushions when Juli sat down next to him and leaned into his chest. He put his chin on her head and breathed in the soft, flower smell of her shampoo. _'If this isn't heaven, I don't know what is.'_

Juli sighed contentedly and they sat like that as the minutes passed. She didn't speak, and Kuu was more than okay with just being in the same room as the beautiful woman he loved.

"Kuu?"

"Hmm?" Juli's voice startled Kuu slightly, he had almost drifted to sleep in the silence. A quick look at his watch showed him that it was indeed late, even compared to his normal late nights.

"You remember last year, when we were talking about our families, and what they were like?" Kuu sat up slightly without disturbing Juli, wanting to be where he could see her face as she talked. "And I asked you if you ever thought about having a family?"

Kuu's pulse had quickened slightly, and he was praying that Juli wouldn't notice. "Sure, I remember. Why?"

"Well, you're playing a father in the movie you're filming now, right?" She turned her head slightly, smiling up at him beautifully. "How did you create that role when you claimed you're not made to be a father?"

Letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding, Kuu chuckled slightly. "Just like I do when I have to act out anything that I'm not. I read books, watch show, try to not get picked up by the police because of people who think I'm stalking them. Normal stuff like that." At Juli's laugh, Kuu feigned offense. "Well then, how would _you_ go about acting like a mother?"

When her laugh faltered, Kuu looked down to see a slightly forlorn expression on Juli's soft features. "I… I don't know how I would create a role like that. I guess I would have to learn, just like you." She sat up slightly, just far enough away to lean against the back of the couch, instead of on Kuu. He was worried by her pulling away, but even more by the look she had on her face.

"What's wrong, Juli?"

His words seemed to break the 'trance' that she was in, and she shook her head, trying to smile. "I was just thinking, sorry, I…" The fragile smile fell from her face as she stared down at her hands. "I think it would be impossible for me to make a believable character like that, since I… can't have children."

Kuu held his breath steady, but his mind was racing. He had never given much thought to having children, he had no _real_ example as to what a father was supposed to be like, after all. But he could tell by the hurting look on Juli's face that having children _was_ a thing that she had thought about –and probably wanted- more than a lot of other things in her life.

He reached out and took one of her hands in his, not sure what he should say. After a few moments, Juli let out a forced laugh, shaking her head again. "I'm sorry, Kuu. I had to go ruin the happy mood in here, didn't I?" She turned to look at him, and he could see the shining tears she was holding back.

As if it was moving on its own, his free hand reached up and wiped one of her eyes. "I don't mind, Juli." He whispered softly, his eyes looking into hers, trying to show her his heart. "That doesn't make you any less whole." Another tear slid down her cheek, as Kuu pulled her into his embrace. "And it doesn't make me love you any less."

Kuu held her like that, expecting sobs that never came. Instead, Juli pulled back after a few minutes, wiping at her tears with a rueful smile on her face. To say he was confused would have been an incredible understatement.

"And here I was, terrified to tell you for all of this time." She smiled up at him, squeezing his hands with hers. "That's why I came back now, I wanted you to know before… well, before we became anything _more_."

He opened his mouth to speak, but Juli's expression changed to a slightly mischievous one. "The answer is yes, by the way."

Kuu blinked, trying to remember what question he had asked. "Yes to what?"

Juli reached past him, and felt around under the cushion. Her eyes lit up as she withdrew her hand, clasping the ring box. She flipped it open, showing Kuu the ring. "Yes to this." Kuu stammered with incredulity, but Juli put a finger over his lips to silence him. "You're a bad liar, Kuu. You have been ever since we met."

At the sight of Juli sitting there, holding the box with her own engagement ring, declaring that she would marry him, Kuu couldn't stop the laughter that broke free. _'How does she always work right through ever fear I have, and solve my worries before I even speak them?'_ "You should be glad that that's for _you, _otherwise this would be awkward."

"No, _you_ should be. Otherwise, I'd be going hunt down the other woman." She held out the box to him, and he took it back, slightly confused. "Don't think you're getting out of proposing to me. And make it good, you already know the answer, after all."

* * *

_This chapitre was extremely hard for me to write, which is why it's so short. I must have re-wrote these two scenes a dozen times. Please bear with it, I know it could have been a lot better._

_It always seemed to me like Kuu and Juli valued their son much more than normal people do. It made me wonder if there was a reason for it, and Juli's supposed incapability to bear children was the one that struck me as the most likely. So, no, I'm not going to say that Kuon was adopted. Calm down._

_Sari*_


	9. Meetings

**_Starlit Nights  
_**Sariah Loire  
Chapitre Nine

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

_Juli may not have been a Hollywood star, but neither was Kuu, once upon a time. That didn't stop him from falling in love with her._

* * *

"And so, this insane, strangely dressed man is Lory Takarada, the boss of the agency I was a part of in Japan."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Juli." Lory stretched out his hand as if he wasn't wearing a ten-gallon hat, along with the rest of the gear he needed to pull off the cowboy look to perfection. "I've heard so much about you, it's indeed an honor."

Juli never faltered, Kuu had to give credit to her acting abilities. _'Surely not even Paris boasted people as strange as Boss.'_ She reached out her own hand, smiling brightly. "Please, just call me Juli. It's quite a privilege to get to meet you, Mr. Takarada. I didn't believe I'd get the chance, seeing as how you live so far away."

"Lory is fine, please. My dear, I'd have flown across the world to get to see the woman who managed to change Kuu's heart so completely." He bent and kissed her hand, and Kuu rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, well Boss, there's a ring on that hand in case you haven't noticed." Not that Kuu was actually worried, he was still floating on cloud nine ever since Juli had accepted his proposal two nights before. But he had to make some jabs at the man. After all, not many people would jump into a private jet and fly across the ocean to congratulate two people on an engagement. "And I'm due on set in an hour, are we going to get some breakfast?"

Lory patted Juli's hand before letting it drop, sending her a sympathetic look. "I do hope that you've seen the way he eats. It would be shame for all of this to be over after one meal together."

Kuu grabbed onto the back of Lory's leather-fringed vest, dragging him towards the waiting opalescent limo. "Boss, she _knows_, and she cooked twice for me yesterday." He looked over his shoulder and smiled at Juli, who returned the smile brilliantly. _'Don't think about the food, Kuu. Just block it from your mind.'_ "So any attempts at sabotage aren't going to work."

"Sabotage? I've already said how _happy_ I am for you." Lory was pouting, but Kuu had expected nothing less. The man had faked being upset ever since he found out over the phone that Kuu had special ordered Juli a ring, and proposed to her, without even asking him for advice.

"_She probably didn't even like it."_

"_She accepted it, didn't she? Before I even asked."_

"_There's a little thing called good manners."_

It had taken the better part of an hour for Kuu to calm Lory down, and the final (albeit extreme) step was for Kuu to invite Lory to Los Angeles. Which he did. And, of course, the man accepted and had a plane on standby before Kuu could even tell him which days would be good for a visit.

But, truth be told, Kuu couldn't fault the man for anything. He was pleased as punch to have his best friend back at his side, sharing the joyous news with everyone in earshot. And it had only taken a few whispered words to stop Lory from beginning his speech on the joys of children.

"Yes, so you've said over and over." Kuu remarked dryly, opening the door for Juli to enter the car. He slid in beside her, and motioned for Lory to climb in beside him. "Now come on, I'm starving."

Lory leaned forward, looking past Kuu. "Juli, I _do_ hope you know what you're getting into."

His concerned comment drew a cheerful laugh out of the glowing woman as the limo pulled away from the curb. "Don't worry, it'll be fine as long as he doesn't miss the wedding because he's snacking."

"That's a very real possibility."

"Boss, if you scare her away, I'm trashing your wardrobe."

* * *

After Kuu finished work for the day, Lory and Juli met with him for supper at a semi-private restaurant many of the Hollywood stars used when they wanted to stay out of the spotlight. Lory had changed into a slightly more subdued costume, a toga, and was asking Juli about her plans for the wedding.

"Have you two chosen a date yet?" Lory raised his wine glass to his mouth, taking small sips.

"Not yet, we have to compare our schedules first." Juli passed the bread basket to Kuu, who took it with a nod of thanks. "I don't know how far out we'll need to plan, how much work is it to organize a wedding?"

"I could always plan it for-"

"No, Boss." Kuu took a break in his ravenous eating to cut Lory down in the middle of his answer. "We don't want exotic dancers. And Juli doesn't want to be brought down the aisle by a procession of slaves. Ignore his moping, Juli, or else he'll be trying to send off fireworks from _inside_ the church."

"Hollywood's biggest star and a famous New York supermodel are getting married, it's _supposed_ to be big!" Lory folded his arms, glowering at Kuu. "We need to get statements ready for the press, engagement pictures, not to mention-"

"Our agents are preparing the press release, probably as we speak." Kuu fought back a chuckle as Juli smoothly cut Lory off in such a way that the older man barely noticed. _'There's another sign that we're meant to be together. I'll need someone to help me control the Boss when he gets out of hand.'_ "As soon as we decide on the date, then we'll get to work on finding the venue."

"And you'll need a caterer, florist, orchestra-"

"A _band_, Boss. Not a philharmonic."

"Besides, the wedding isn't going to be _that_ huge, right?" Juli's innocent question stopped Lory in his tirade of arrangement. "We don't have any family to celebrate with us, so there's really no need to make it that big of a production."

Lory sat, stone-faced, for the better half of five minutes. Finally, he cleared his throat, reaching for his glass of wine. "Juli, there's a saying we have at LME. It goes something like: 'When love is involved, there's no such thing as going overboard.'"

Kuu raised an eyebrow, cutting a piece of steak into a smaller bite. "You just made that up, didn't you?"

"Yes, but it's true nevertheless. And I'll be spreading it around once I get back home."

"Okay, Lory, how do you feel about handling the food and the flowers?" Juli had pulled out a small notebook that Kuu took to be a planner. She was studying some things that had been written down, and glanced over at Kuu as if to say. _'He can't do too much damage with those, can he?'_

'_Oh, you'd be surprised.'_ Kuu wanted to answer, but he bit his tongue as Lory happily agreed to the terms Juli offered.

"I'll get everything set up as soon as you get your heads together and give me a set date."

"There's no hurry, Boss, I'm sure you can get it done from Japan. Juli or myself can get you whatever numbers you need to get everything set up." Kuu pulled the fork from his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "When do you have to head back?"

"Within the week, I don't like leaving LME to run itself any longer than necessary." Lory pushed away his plate as the waitress set down another course in front of Kuu. He declined the waitress' offer of desert as he watched Kuu shovel down the food. "When do you have to go back to Paris, Juli?"

Kuu slowed down eating, looking at his plate attentively. He had been trying to push away the thoughts of Juli leaving again, especially now that things were moving at such a fast pace. He would have been happy with marrying Juli right then and there, but he knew neither of the people at the table would have accepted that particular course of action.

"Well, my first line of clothes is in the middle of production, so I'll have a big show lined up within the month. It'll be my last Paris show for a while, most likely." She picked at a slice of cake, nibbling on the frosting. "We'll be holding shows in New York again, probably more frequent than before."

"I heard that the demand for your clothes is _almost _as high as the demand for you to model them." Kuu smiled over at Juli, who was embarrassed at the praise. He reached out and flicked her hand, to get her to look up at him. "You won't forget me when you get back to Paris and have all of those men fawning over you, will you?"

She laughed and shoved Kuu's arm, almost upsetting a plate of his food. Lory watched the exchange, making notes on the piece of paper he had borrowed from Juli's planner. "I'll be sure to look up a catering service that's used to feeding an army of men. They should be able to handle one Kuu Hizuri, once he gets over the wedding jitters."

Kuu scoffed, pulling towards himself one last plate of food to finish off. "I won't even be _looking_ at food, Boss. There _are_ more important things that eating, you know."

"I better tell them to prepare for two armies. And about flowers, I'm thinking a waterfall full of orchids. How does that sound, Juli?"

* * *

That night, after the newly engaged couple had finally managed to coax Lory into going to his hotel, they retired to Kuu's apartment. They turned down the living room lights and raised the thick curtains covering the windows. Stars were out by the thousands, or perhaps millions, shining through the apartment's windows, casting light onto the couch that Kuu had moved close to the wall.

Kuu sat with Juli in his arms, his face half buried in her soft, silken hair. They talked about work, the wedding, everything that went through their minds. The decision to not seek out their family to invite was mutual, one that both were glad to accept. And when they ran out of things to say, they watched the stars, through the open windows.

"We're really going to do this, aren't we?" Juli's voice was little more than a whisper, quiet in the darkness.

"Do what?"

"Start a life of our own, together." She turned to look up at him, Kuu stared down into her pale, shining eyes, feeling the twinges of both love and desire. "This isn't a dream, is it?"

"You're not getting cold feet already, are you?" Kuu smiled softly, pressing a kiss to her pouting lips. "You already said yes. Three times, actually, in case you've forgotten."

"Of course I'm not." She raised a hand and ran it through his hair, resting it on the back of his neck. "Though, I'm not sure how morally binding a proposal is when it was made in bed."

Kuu raised an eyebrow at her, faking offense. "You didn't seem to mind at the time."

"Kuu!" Juli pulled away, laughing, but Kuu held on to her waist. As the laughter quieted, Juli reached up and traced the side of Kuu's face with her hand. He turned and kissed her palm.

"No, this is not a dream." Another kiss was placed on her fingertips. "Yes, we're really getting married." Another on the back of her hand. "And we're going to have the rest of our lives to spend together." One kiss led to two, two to three, and three to... more than either of them cared to count. But the stars shone down upon them, framing that night in their radiant glow.

* * *

_After my difficulties with the last chapitre, this one just seemed to pour out. Not that I mind, I hate feeling like I'm forcing myself to write. Now I need to go brush my teeth before this fluff gives me cavities._

_A special thanks to __**'Ahahah'**__. I was worried about how people would receive the last chapitre, and their review let me know that at least someone got what I was trying to get across. Thanks for the encouragement!_

_Sari*_


	10. A Grand Affair

_**Starlit Nights  
**_Sariah Loire  
Chapitre Ten

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

_Juli may not have been a Hollywood star, but neither was Kuu, once upon a time. That didn't stop him from falling in love with her._

* * *

Two months later, when Juli's plane landed in California, Kuu was waiting at the airport with open arms. Ignoring the flashing of the paparazzo's cameras, Juli ran into Kuu's embrace as soon as she passed through customs. There was no reason to try and hide, half of the country knew why Kuu had stood in that airport terminal for the better part of an hour.

Hollywood star actor Kuu Hizuri and the international supermodel/up-and-coming designer Juli were getting married in five days.

Lory had a limo waiting for them outside of the airport, and they made a break for it as soon as they were out the doors. Laughing breathlessly, Juli waited until Kuu climbed in and shut the door before she threw herself back into his arms, her own arms wrapped around his neck so tightly he thought she would choke him. "I missed you."

"I missed you more, believe me." Kuu leaned back and kissed Juli long and soft, pulling away to run his hand down the side of her face. "I had to listen to a certain idiot the whole time, asking me questions about the wedding every day."

"Oh, I called Juli about it, too." Lory pulled out a cigar, lighting it with a golden LME-gilded lighter. He leaned back in his seat across from the couple. "Welcome back, by the way."

"Thank you, Lory." Juli smiled at the man, pulling her seatbelt on. "I've been trying to keep up with everything during the shows, but I've gotten a little behind. Are the flowers and food on track?"

"Of course, I took my _only_ responsibilities very seriously." While Lory talked, Kuu had the feeling that the man was still slightly resenting the fact that he didn't get to use his many over-the-top ideas. "How is everything else coming along?"

"Well, the photographer's checked in today, everything's still set. We're renting that large church we had looked at, the one I sent you the address for, Lory." Juli was scanning her same planner, it was now well-worn and frayed around the edges. "Kuu, did you get a band?"

"Yes, and I've worked out security for the night. We just have to make sure that the guests remember to bring their invitations so they can get in." Kuu reached for his wallet and pulled out the card for the band, sliding it into Juli's hand. She tucked it away in her planner.

"My dress is being delivered to the church so that I don't have to worry about transporting it. Did you get your tux pressed, Kuu?"

"Twice." Kuu leaned over, gently closing the book on Juli's lap. "We've gone over this already today, three times before you left and once while you were on the plane." He smiled down at the woman, before kissing her cheek. "You haven't forgotten anything. It's all going to be perfect."

* * *

When the day of the wedding dawned, it was a gorgeous, sunny day.

Kuu was awake long before what anyone would consider normal. Especially given the fact that he had been up most of the night, talking over old times with Lory. Since Kuu would have never accepted a bachelor's party, even if he would have had more close friends than just Lory, the older man was happy to stay in.

Juli stayed in a hotel room for the night, as she had quit renting her Los Angeles apartment before she had ever gone to Paris. Some people in her position may have felt lonely or sad, with no family and her modeling friends not in town yet. But Juli was happily thinking about the ceremony, and practicing with her hair and makeup. She wanted everything perfect, to start her perfect life with Kuu.

And, as it to appease both bride and groom, the wedding _did_ go perfectly. Not that it went according to plan, but they still both always thought of it as perfect.

It started early that morning, when Kuu woke Lory, telling him he was about to starve and had to eat right that moment. So they set out in Kuu's car and tried to get breakfast at a nearby shop. All of the televisions were broadcasting reports about the wedding that was to take place that day, and because of that, Kuu drew even more attention than normal. Lory managed to save the man from being mauled by crying fans, but he had the feeling that Kuu was upset about having to leave while the news broadcast was showing clips of Juli's runway shows.

They decided to try a drive-through, but when they saw that the paparazzi had followed them from the first shop, Kuu declared that he was going to cook instead, and with some fancy driving, they arrived safely to Kuu's apartment. And, of course, Kuu served enough food to feed everyone waiting outside with cameras, and managed to finish almost all of it off by himself.

Juli's morning was less hectic. She slept in, and when she finally decided to get up, she found her phone being barraged by calls from models and other designers who were on their way to Los Angeles. She soaked in the large bathtub while returning calls, and once she got out, her makeup and hair preparations began.

While Lory was complaining about the dullness of their plain black tuxedos, Kuu was once again rummaging through the kitchen. Lory was bemused at the man's nervous eating, but he kept it to himself. He had other things to attend to, after all.

Lory got dressed and announced his departure to the surprised Kuu. Explaining that he had to arrive early to help with last-minute arrangements seemed to add to Kuu's panicking, but he tried to assure the younger man that everything would go just as it should.

Both Juli and Lory arrived at the church within a half hour of each other, and Juli was surprised to see that everything looked perfectly normal. Kuu had warned him that the church would probably look more like a rainforest after Lory got through with it, but instead it looked very elegant. Juli thanked Lory for his help, and made her way to one of the side rooms of the church, where she would be getting ready.

Lory waited until the doors closed behind her, and he clapped his hands. Three dozen men and women filed into the room, awaiting the orders of their employer. Lory set to work explaining to them what he wanted, and how it was to be done.

"You've got your orders, now get to it."

* * *

"So, _why_ did they order this much food? I heard the wedding's only for their close guests, not to the public." The workers for the catering service were busy preparing food and filling plates. Talking amongst themselves was usually the only way to keep busy, but this time there was at least five times the amount of work.

"Don't ask me, they must be serious fans of leftovers. But I'd tell the cook to slow down a little on the second round, they won't be needing it."

It was forty-five minutes before the ceremony started, and Kuu's stomach had kicked itself into high-gear. The more he thought about the wedding, the more excited he got, and that just made him hungry. Well, _hungrier_. He had run out of food at his apartment, so after getting dressed, he had made his way to the church.

Weaving through the wild vines of flowers had been a feat, and finding Lory was more like a jungle expedition, but he had eventually spotted the man. He was viewing the flora display with a small smile of approval on his face. "Boss, please don't tell me the actual room we're having the ceremony in looks like this."

Lory turned, as if he was just noticing Kuu. His face instantly changed, as if about to start up his pouting again. "No, Juli made me calm it down inside there."

"She was fine with the rest of this, then?"

Lory shrugged, folding his arms. "She can't come this far out, people would see her."

Kuu chuckled, straightening his tie. "Forgiveness rather than permission. Got it." He looked around, seeing guests entering the church. "Do you think they have any of the food ready yet? I'm starved."

"I told them to start preparing early." Lory patted the man on his back with a knowing smile. "I'll show you the way. Besides, you don't want to be under the flowers in a few minutes, you'll get wet."

"Boss, please tell me you didn't set up sprinklers in a church."

"I have to keep them alive until after the ceremony, don't I?"

They found their way to the reception hall, and within a few minutes, the caterers were rushing to tell the cooks to continue with their original plans of cooking two rounds of food. And they were hoping that the two rounds would be enough to make the famous star, who apparently had a black hole for a stomach, satisfied.

* * *

The ceremony was beautiful, though no one would have used the word 'traditional' to describe it. Kuu stood on his own at the altar, and Juli was led down the aisle by Lory, who returned to his seat after she was safely with Kuu in front of the minister.

Kuu had wanted Lory to be his best man, but when Lory proposed the idea of having only the bride and groom in the wedding party, both had accepted it. Not that they would have noticed, once the wedding started they only had eyes for each other.

Afterward, when people asked Kuu about the ceremony, he told them that he had stared into an angel's face for a half hour and didn't quite remember what had happened. Thankfully, Lory was able to fill in some of the gaps for the love struck man.

Lory had hired trumpeters to help the band with announcing Juli's arrival through the doors. And since there were no flower girls, he of course had to have flower petals fall upon them from special containers in the ceiling.

Juli's voice was smooth and clear as she spoke her vows, though her eyes were bright with tears. Kuu stumbled on his words once, Lory figured it was from watching Juli instead of thinking of what he was supposed to say. But they made it through without any major slip-up, and exchanged their rings.

When Kuu slid the ring on Juli's hand, he whispered something to her that made her well-held tears spill onto her face, accompanied by a beautiful smile. And when Juli's small fingers slid the ring on Kuu's hand, he looked suspiciously close to tears himself.

When the minister announced the smiling couple as 'Mr. and Mrs. Kuu Hizuri', doves were released, flowers once again descended from the ceiling, and fireworks went off outside the church while the two kissed a sweet and short kiss. The newlyweds walked down the aisle, arm-in-arm, until they got to the last row of pews. Kuu then captured Juli in another kiss that lasted several moments longer than the first, before they escaped out the doors.

Lory ring-leaded the reception until Kuu and Juli made their appearance, at which most of the crowd started cheering and catcalling. Neither of them minded, they were together forever now, that was all that mattered to them.

Before the night got too late, Lory pulled Kuu aside and stuck out his hand. The man reached out to shake it, when Lory lightly hit his arm. "No, you fool, give me your pager." Kuu looked puzzled, but handed it over. "I already confiscated Juli's. Now go collect your bride, I have a limo waiting for you outside. It'll take you to the airport, and my jet will take you to the place I personally picked. I'm the only one who knows where you're going, so don't worry about having to avoid paparazzi."

Kuu reached out an arm and hugged the man, years of friendship evident in his voice when he finally spoke. "Thanks, Boss. Not just for this, but for everything you've done for me over the years." He pulled back, a hand still gripping Lory's shoulder. "None of this would have happened without you."

"You don't owe me any thanks, Kuu, as long as you agree to one thing."

"What's that, Boss?"

"I _don't_ want to hear about the honeymoon."

* * *

_Well, they're married now, and so begins the reign of Hizuri love. This story was really only to write about their meeting/becoming a couple, so I only suspect one more chapitre. I can't end this without writing about a certain bouncing baby boy._

_Sari*_


	11. Another Beginning

**_Starlit Nights_**  
Sariah Loire  
Chapitre Eleven

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

_Juli may not have been a Hollywood star, but neither was Kuu, once upon a time. That didn't stop him from falling in love with her._

* * *

"Kuu, did you finish breakfast? Your ride's going to be here soon!" Juli walked through the doorway into the kitchen, with a spatula still in one hand and a frying pan in the other. Kuu stopped tying his shoes to stare at his lovely wife, who managed to take his breath away even while cooking. Not that her food had gotten any better, but he was slowly getting used to it.

"I did, and it was wonderful, as always." He tied a quick knot in his shoe laces, and stood up, pulling Juli close for a quick kiss. "What time will you be home?"

"I have a few fittings after lunch, and I have to start getting ready for our next New York show." Juli walked back into the kitchen, putting the pan and cooking utensil in the sink. "I shouldn't be too late, are we still meeting for dinner?"

Kuu leaned against the doorway, watching the way Juli glided around the room. Even after a year of marriage, he still found it near impossible to take his eyes off of her. "Of course. I'll go over straight from the studio, so give me a call when you're ready to meet." His pager went off, and a glance at the number told him it was his manager. "I've got to go, see you tonight."

Juli leaned forward for another kiss, her hands full of soapy water from the dishes. "Have a good day." She smiled at his hesitation to pull away. "Go, before you're late. Love you, Kuu."

He returned a heartfelt 'love you' before leaving the apartment and running for the stairs. His manager was always complaining that Kuu was cutting their time too close because he didn't want to leave his pretty wife every morning. Kuu heartily agreed, but tried to leave a few minutes earlier every day.

Kuu said his good mornings and leaned his head back against the headrest in the back seat of the car. In the year that he had been married, Kuu had learned why Lory had been so adamant that Kuu settle down with a nice girl. He was happier than he had ever been, especially when his and Juli's work was over for the day, and they could relax at home for the evening.

His popularity was at an all-time high, despite the company's worry that it would dip when Kuu was no longer single. Instead, it had continued rising. His face was recognized everywhere he went, and he was in high demand for every imaginable type of role. But his latest blockbuster role was giving him a harder time than he expected.

He was offered the role after he and Juli had been married for 10 months. After thinking over the role for a few days, Kuu had accepted it. Normally he would never consider turning a role down, but his worries about playing a father had flooded his mind once again. He wasn't confident in his parental abilities, and for good reason. And after he had watched videos of parents and children, he discovered that he knew nothing about caring for a child.

But after speaking with many, _many_ co-workers who were fathers, and watching those videos for several weeks, Kuu realized something that had surprised him. He noticed that there was an unfamiliar ache in his heart when he saw the couples with young children. It made him wonder what it would be like to have a child of his own, to be able to share something that special with Juli.

Kuu never breathed a word about it to Juli, of course. He would never say anything to hurt her, especially since he saw the way she, too, looked at young couples with children. But after enduring those feelings for a month or so, he had to find someone to talk to it about, and he had called Lory.

Surprisingly, the man said he had been expecting to receive a call like that quite a bit earlier. Kuu was thankful to have a chance to talk it all over with someone, and Lory had presented an unexpected piece of advice. He told Kuu that he should talk to Juli about adopting a child. There were, after all, many children who needed a loving family, like the one the newlyweds could give.

The thought of adoption had never crossed Kuu's mind, and he had spent the next few days thinking about it. But when he finally worked up the courage to ask Juli about it, she had come in that evening talking about a new fashion show she would be attending overseas. Kuu had buried the adoption idea in the back of his mind, for a better time.

But when filming began, that sense of longing was sitting on his shoulders just as strong as before. It was uncomfortable, but he dealt with it so that he could perform his job properly. He was thankful when the filming had taken a break because of problems with his co-star, and he could get his mind on other things. However, when filming started back up right after his and Juli's first anniversary, that ache was right back with him.

Kuu had made a decision, he would talk to Juli about her feelings on adoption. He knew there was a chance she would be against it, her career had taken off at the same rate his had. In that short year, Juli's international popularity had sky-rocketed, and Kuu had framed one of the many magazine spreads that had praised Juli as being the most beautiful model in the world.

Her clothing line was being worn by celebrities, she was number one in the modeling field, and she had even started back acting in a few movies. Yes, Kuu knew there was a chance that his idea would be rejected, but he made his plans and he wouldn't back out now. Their dinner that very night was when Kuu was planning on asking her, and he was scared stiff at the thought.

* * *

Kuu was waiting at their favorite table in a very popular restaurant in Los Angeles, shredding a napkin nervously. He had refused the complimentary bread to the astonishment of the waiter, Kuu was simply too jumpy to eat.

It wasn't so much the question that was worrying him. He just knew he could never forgive himself if it hurt Juli in anyway, or made her feel bad because she couldn't bear children. Glancing down at his watch, Kuu began tapping his foot. Juli hadn't called him back when he left her a message about their meeting time, but her manager told him that she had left to meet him.

He was starting to get worried after twenty minutes had passed and there was still no sign of Juli, when he spotted a familiar blonde head of hair walking through the door at the front of the restaurant. When she spotted him, he noticed tears on her face and froze. _'Was there an accident? What happened?'_ Questions flew through his mind as he stood up, but before he could ask any of them, Juli nearly ran to the table and threw her arms around his neck.

"Juli, what's wrong, are you hurt?" Kuu tried to pull away slightly so he could see her face, but she wouldn't move. She just shook her head in his shoulder, crying. He stood there helpless for a few moments before her grip finally loosened. But when she leaned her head back to look up at him, her eyes were shining brighter than he had ever seen since he had met her. Her face broke into a beautiful smile, and she whispered two words Kuu thought he'd never get to hear.

"I'm pregnant."

Kuu blinked slowly, still staring into Juli's eyes. He could hear his own pulse pounding, and couldn't seem to figure out how to form words properly. "Wait… what?"

Juli's smile only seemed to grow, and she reached up a hand to touch his face. "I'm pregnant, Kuu. We're going to have a baby." People were staring to stare at the famous couple, but they were much too captivated with each other to notice.

"How? When did you find out?"

"Just today, I came straight here after I left the doctor's office." Juli ran her hand down Kuu's face and brought it to rest on his shoulder. "As for the how… I don't know. I've been feeling a little sick most mornings lately, but thought it would go away eventually. It wasn't until today, when a dress I had been fitted for last month was a little tight, that I decided I should go for a check-up." She shook her head, laughing. "I thought maybe I was just gaining weight from some kind of sickness, I never thought…" Tears began running down her face again, and she wrapped her arms around Kuu's neck.

To say Kuu was in shock would be a gross understatement, but his state of speechlessness didn't last long. "I'm going to be a father." He whispered into Juli's hair, and it felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulder by those words. "We're going to be parents." Kuu looked over Juli's head, to the crowd of people staring, and nearly shouted: "I'm going to be a father!"

There was much cheering and clapping, along with a few strange looks. Juli laughed, removing her arms from around him. "Everyone's staring at us, Kuu, and I look a fright. Let me go to the powder room, I'll be right back."

He let her go, and sat down at the table, putting his head in his hands. Kuu's mind was reeling from the wave of emotions, but the overwhelming sense of excitement took precedence over the rest. He glanced up, looking over to the host's station, where the man was talking on a phone.

Kuu jumped up, and sprinted to the station, tapping his fingers impatiently until the host finished his call. "Can I borrow that for a minute?" When the man complied, Kuu quickly punched in a familiar number, leaning against the wall until a familiar voice answered.

"Boss? You're never going to believe this."

* * *

"Are you feeling okay, Juli?"

Juli opened her eyes through the pain, and grimaced in Kuu's direction. "Kuu, for the umpteenth time, I'm in labor. There's no 'feeling okay'."

Kuu was pacing the room, his hands shoved nervously in his pockets. They had been at the hospital for several hours now, ever since Juli's water had broken during the night. When they first arrived, she had seemed excited as he was, but her good mood was waning through the hours. Kuu was okay with that, though, he was keyed up enough for both of them.

The pregnancy had gone smooth, and Juli had made an easy transition into modeling maternity clothes when she had gained enough weight to be showing. Her morning sickness was never much of a problem, and it was completely gone by the fourth month. And in the fifth month, both Kuu and Juli agreed that they didn't want to know the sex of the baby.

He knew Juli thought she was keeping her hopes for a son a secret, but he noticed the way she mainly flipped through the boy sections in the many baby name books they had amassed. And when they had decided to buy a house to move out of Kuu's apartment, she had been insistent at painting the nursery a light blue.

The house was ready, the nursery was filled to the brim with toys Kuu kept bringing home, and the soon-to-be parents were much, much more than ready. The ninth month had been the longest time of Kuu's life, and Lory had started screening his calls after Kuu woke him up three days in a row with prospective baby names.

The door to Juli's hospital room opened, and Kuu hurried across the room to Juli's side as her doctor made his way in the room to check the progress. After a few minutes, the doctor looked up at the nurse at his side and nodded. Then he turned to Juli, smiling. "It's time; let's get you over to the delivery room."

* * *

"And he has a head full of blonde hair, Boss, just like Juli's!" Kuu was standing at the window to the hospital nursery, staring at the small bundle that was wrapped in a blanket. The baby's tiny bed had a piece of paper on the end of it, with a simple 'Hizuri' written across it.

'Baby Boy Hizuri' as the nurses called him, had been born less than twenty minutes. Kuu had been ushered out of the room while Juli and the baby were cleaned up, and he still hadn't been allowed to go back and see her. Or hold his baby boy, which was enough to drive him up the wall.

But he had settled for calling Lory and giving him a running commentary as the nurses had fiddled with the baby, making sure everything was fine with him. Kuu held back a scoff as they checked him over and over again. _'Of course he's fine, you'd think they couldn't tell how absolutely perfect he is just by looking at him.'_

"I would say that I'm glad the baby's finally here, but I have a feeling that a lifetime of annoying calls are only beginning." Lory sighed, but Kuu was too busy standing as close to the glass as he possibly could to see every inch of the beautiful baby, to pay attention to Lory. "How's Juli doing?"

"I don't know, they haven't let me back in to see her." He answered miserably, eyeing the double doors at the end of the hallway. "Do you think they'll care if I sneak back to just check on her?"

"Don't get yourself thrown out of the hospital on your son's birthday, Kuu."

"Mr. Hizuri?" A nurse had walked up to Kuu's side while he was too busy admiring his son, causing him to jump slightly. "You may go back to see your wife, if you wish."

"GottagoLorybye." He hurriedly dropped the pay phone back in its cradle and ran to catch up with the nurse, who led him back to the room Juli had been in that morning.

Juli was propped up on some pillows, looking worn out, but radiant. She smiled softly as Kuu walked into the room, reaching out her hand towards him. He walked forward, taking her hand in his own and squeezing it. He leaned forward, gently kissing her. "Good job, Juli. He's beautiful, just like you."

"When can I see him again?"

The nurse checking Juli's vitals smiled, going over the numbers. "Your strength is coming back, so we can bring him in here as soon as you want." She lifted an eyebrow, looking between Kuu and Juli. "Would you like me to bring him in?"

"Yes!" Both answered at the same time, drawing a laugh from the nurse. She nodded and left the room, coming back in a few minutes with the small, rolling bed. She lifted the baby out and checked his wristbands.

"He's a tall one, a little over twenty-four inches. But only seven and a half pounds!" She faked a stern look, setting the baby in her arms. "You be sure to feed him well when he gets older, or else he'll be scrawny."

Juli nodded, Kuu knew she was probably already planning what to cook for the boy as soon as he could eat normal food. She cuddled him close as the nurse excused herself from the room. Kuu sat on the edge of the mattress, staring in awe at the tiny bundle. Juli noticed his look, and shifted her arms towards him, smiling. "You can hold him, Kuu."

He swallowed, nervously reaching for the baby. When he brought him close to his chest, the baby made a tiny noise, startling them both. "You think that means he likes me?" His voice was thick with the tears he was trying to hold back.

Juli leaned back on her pillows, smiling. "Of course he does. He has the best father in the world, after all. How could he not like you?" She softly touched the baby's hair, before pulling his cap down. "They said he has green eyes, just like you. Maybe he'll open them soon and let us see."

"We still have to decide on a name, too." Kuu rocked the baby slightly. "Have you thought about it anymore?"

"Yes, while I was waiting for them to bring you and the baby back here." Juli leaned back up, propping a pillow behind her. She reached for a notepad that was sitting next to her on the bed, and a pen. "I want him to have a Japanese name."

"Like what?" Kuu looked over, but Juli hid her list, smiling. He had suggested several Japanese names while they were trying to decide on a name, but none of them had seemed to fit.

"No, you can't look yet." She flipped the paper over. "I want you to help me with a name before you look at the ones I thought of."

"What do you need help with?"

"I want to give him a name that's like yours. Maybe Kuu-something?" Juli picked up a pen, doodling on the paper. "Is there a name like that?"

Kuu motioned for Juli to hold out her arms, and he gently placed the baby in them. He pulled a sheet of paper off of the notepad, and borrowed the pen. "There are a few, like these." He wrote down several names that started with 'Ku'. "Or, we could make our own, like these." He wrote a few more names down, thinking of ways to incorporate 'Ku' with different endings. The last name he wrote down was 'Kuon', he stared at that one for a moment.

Juli saw the names, and smiled, reaching and flipping over the notepad. Amidst a page full of names, there was a circle around one. Kuu looked closer and saw that she had written 'Kuon', and circled it several times. "I didn't know what it meant, or even if it was a real name, but it just seemed to fit him." She looked down, smiling at the bundle in her arms. "Kuon Hizuri. It works, doesn't it?"

Kuu reached his hand over, lightly touching the baby's hand under the blanket. "Hello, Kuon." He whispered, watching in wonder as the baby fought to open his eyes. "You're going to have a great life, making all of your dreams come true."

* * *

After a year had passed, they began trying to conceive again. But the miracle, as Kuu called it, that had happened to give them Kuon never happened again. He was to be their only child. It left them a little bittersweet at times, as they watched their son grow up alone. But Kuu decided he would just have to spoil and dote on Kuon as much as he would if there were three or four of him.

Kuu and Juli's marriage had its rough moments, but they always worked it out. A couple that madly in love with each other had no other choice, one couldn't have lived without the other. And with their beautiful son a part of the mix, they knew that family was the most important thing of all.

Some nights, after Kuon was safely tucked into bed, Kuu would lead Juli by the hand into the backyard, where he would lay a blanket on the ground for them to lay on. They would look up at the stars and talk about their future, their dreams, and their goals.

And more often than not, they would wonder what life had in store for their son.

* * *

_And that's the end. I hope all of you have enjoyed it. I had a few more ideas of idiot things Kuu would do concerning his son, but I think this is the right place to end. I hope you all enjoyed this story, my idea of what Kuu and Juli's meeting and early marriage could have been like!_

_And for just a small fact, I started calling Kuu Kuon halfway through this chapitre, then had to go back and correct it all. Jeez, I was so ready to write about baby Kuon._

_Sari*_


End file.
